Don't Loose Your Way - Halo NG
by Danii2
Summary: "10 years after the War, the Next Generation lives for Peace... I do not like it." Naress and Kiara have recently joined the Galactic Peace Core, bound to help revive dying or dead planets and eradicate any threats to the Peace. The two, along with comrades, are dragged into the mystery of a planet name Kuili which recently blinked off the peace map... (Slow beginning; cov by me.)
1. Galactic Peace Core

**I DO NOT OWN HALO (I wish I did) BUT I DO OWN ALL OCs.**

* * *

Nerass had never felt so much pain that wasn't her own.

Throwing her head back with a roar, she dropped to her knees, grabbing her chest. The battle was blurry as the back of her neck burned like fire, the Zelot unable to breath. Someone yelled, a human. The words were faint, as far away as her home planet. The world around her constantly spun as Nerass stumbled to her feet, grabbing a rock. Her mind began to whir and she pulled her hand away from her chest to see if she was actually bleeding.

But there was no blood. This puzzled the Sangheili warrior for a few moments until the hard slap of reality hit her in the face.

Literally.

"Hey, hey! Snap outta it, chik-a-dee!" Nerass shook her head and yanked her helmet off, throwing it down and pushing a hand away. The clay-colored Kig-Yar smirked at her, patting her shoulder. Nerass had been in a training simulator helmet which graciously attached to cords on the room in the large 18 by 18 meter .  
"...did I pass?"  
"Weeelllllllll-" the shield-bearer laughed at Nerass' antagonizing face before nodding. "Yes, you passed. You survived 3 days, 14 hours, and 15 minutes of non-stop battle. I'd give it a fair 90-ish percent pass grade~"

"yyyYYEESSSS!" she jumped into the air, pumping her fists. The Kig-Yar smirked and watched.

"I have to say though, after your third try it did give you lower points. But you learn fast and thank-the-oracle you didn't have to do this again."

"Yes, thank the ORACLE!" she cheered before smiling at the old man and bowing, "Thank you, Jui'nemar, for being my teacher these last ten years. It has been an honor."  
"The honor is all mine, Nerass," the old Kig-Yar bowed, smiling before pulling out a tiny dumbbell-looking object. He extended it and it flashed out a long pale...

"...Energy sword? ...Is that from?"

"Yes, it's from the time of the Floods. You are my last apprentice, and what the flood will I need this for?" he laughed, recoiling it and holding out the handle, "Take it, it will serve you well in your journey for galactic peace."

Nerass blinked slowly, her four jaws twitching before she knelt and took it, "Thank you..." The older species dipped his head before waving his arms, "Now go, get going! You need sleep before you have to go in for a the physical tomorrow!"  
"OH!" the Sangheili jumped to her feet, bowing again before racing for the door. Meanwhile, Jui'nemar only shook his head and chuckled.

"Kids these days..."

:::

Nerass' hand was cramping as she signed hopefully the last document she'd ever have to in her life and handed it to the recruiter. The other Sangheili studied it before waving her forward and she was directed down a cream-colored halway.  
"Go to 24," the recruiter grunted, causing her to glance back but continue to down. The blue door numbered 24 was not too hard to find; upon opening it she stepped into a room like they would have during polling time. A Unggoy sat on the other side of a little wood table, holding a helmet and clipboard.  
"G'day ma'am. Have a seat and we'll getcha started."  
"...what is this?" she asked timidly, sitting.  
"Oh, we're just running some tests so we know the best place to put you in PC," the species popped the helmet on her head and backed away. "You'll hear a few sounds but sit tight and don't talk."  
"I-"  
"Don't talk."  
"But-"  
"Ma'am."

Sighing, Naress looked straight forward and went through the hell of hearing noises from wind-chimes to a babies' cry. A whirring noise was heard across the room, causing a tiny hole in the cream-colored walls to become exposed and slowly begin to feed a long piece of paper from. The Unggoy didn't look surprised, grabbing the paper and yanking it from the wall, studying it as if it was ancient manuscripts.

"You may speak now."  
"Thank you. May I ask what the in Halos just happened?"

"Well miss...Naress, what we do is we runs test to check your temperament, stress points, calm areas, limits, and reactions. Sound is the most influencing effect on all Peace Corers. We use it to help pair you with a partner."  
"...Partner?"  
"Did you not read the manual?"  
"I did and I saw partners but I thought they were optional?"  
The Unggoy smiled, shaking his head, "If you read any manual before XXI, they all say optional."

Naress blinked, sighing and slid down the seat. She didn't enjoy partners, being use to either singularity or interacting with very large groups. Shaking her head, she stood up.  
"Where do I go from here, sir?"  
"Take this-" the 'data man' handing her a piece of paper, "-and hand it to the Arms down the hall, opposite the way you came. You'll then stand in line to get a mini-physical, and if your accepted, be given your gear and sent to a dorm."  
"...Wow, doesn't sound like it takes long..."  
"Not at all. We've upgraded staff so we don't possibly loose any acceptance forms and shut down recruitment right at the door."  
"How do I know if I'll be recruited and not be shut?"  
"Well you did get past the door."  
"Oh, you meant the FRONT door," Naress laughed, taking the paper as Unggoy nodded, smirking.  
"There's a lot of doors here, don't lose your way."

:::

It was once believed Sangheili could not smile for the fact that they have four jaws or that they are just too ugly. But, if you looked down the beach-sand colored halls of the Peace Corps Dormitories, one silver-colored Sangheili would blow every piece of that evidence through the roof. That's right, Naress was almost smiling ear to ear as she carried her bag of belongings and new uniforms down the dorm hallways, holding her introduction forms in her free hand.

Glancing down to look at the room-number assigned to, she accidentally stepped right into someone... Someone awkwardly large. Glancing up, her bottoms jaws slightly dropped. A rusty-colored Mgalekgolo stood in front of her, it's snake-like pieces of body rippling in the place she bumped. It didn't look too amused but also not mad either. His uniform bore a 'Private'-grade badge, different from her silver "Recruit"-grade badge.

"Sorry Sir...Ma'am...um...," Nerass rubbed her neck awkwardly, forgetting how to decipher the species already. Surprisingly, the Mgalekgolo grinned.  
"I go by sir but don't bother calling me it, the higher-ups get flustered here. Ya' new?"  
"By a few minutes..." she laughed nervously, taking a few steps in place. The Mgalekgolo nodded before stepping out of the way, causing some unrest in three Unggoy walking by.

"Well then continue on and have a good day, squirt."

"Squirt?" Naress asked aloud but continued forward, throwing a confused glace backward, but it was not answered. She shook her head again, looking up to find her door across the way. Jogging forward, she lifted her key and swiped it over the reader. The tiny red light flipped to green and she grabbed the handle, shoving the door wide open.

The room was a light white-ish blue, opening right up living room with attached open kitchen. Two doors were next to each other to the left of her, and a small coat-rack to the right. The living room consisted of two large sofas, a rather beaten-looked coffee table, and a projector wall. The kitchen of at least a dozen cabinets and some human appliances she did not recognize, but at least there was a juice-maker. There was one window facing out upon the grounds.

Naress awkwardly stepped inside, shutting the door and setting down her bag. It smelt strange but she could tell two male Sangheili lived her before her, especially by the worn-down door-jam. Male Sangheili would almost always get the itches on their backs daily, and leaving it unattended could drive one crazy. Females were a bit more lucky, at least. She ambled slowly forward, opening both the doors. They were identical rooms but arranged so the wall was almost like a mirror. There was a doorway between the rooms covered with a curtain. Absentmindedly she ambled into the room on the right, but only took two steps in before someone was heard at the door.

Popping her head back out the the bedroom, she watched the door as the handle wiggled. A curse was heard along with fumbling, then scrapping noise. The door let out a disgruntled noise and "c'mon!" mufflely seeped through before the door dinged. In tumbled two bags, three uniforms, and a short disgruntled sentential being. Obsidian hair topped a dark caramel complexion, a strange black squeaky 'jacket' was covering it's upper body, loose maize-colored cloth covered the bottom. Slowly, the creature raised it's head to expose large creamy chocolate eyes, a short-pointy snout and a small mouth.

It was a human.

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Thank you everyone for reading my first Chapter of_ Halo NG : Don't Loose Your Way_. I hope you'll all tune in for the next chapter, please R&R!


	2. Kiara

**I DO NOT OWN HALO (I wish I did) BUT I DO OWN ALL OCs.**

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Naress and the human stared at each other briefly, unsure what to do or how to react to each other. It was probably a good two minutes before the Sangheili cleared her throat and walked over, picking up the human's bags.

"Lemme help you with that..." she said quietly in English and the human got up, brushing itself off.  
"Aie...Thanks, sorry about that," it spoke back, it's tone feminine. She had already guessed it was female by the lack of the distant male smell. Once the two got the bags inside and shut the door, the human cleared it's throat and attempted to speak in Narees' tongue.

"So...you're my dorm-mate?" her voice was rather harsh and stiff, showing she was still having difficulties learning it. Naress smiled and nodded, at least her and the human were on the same page of vocal speech...  
"I guessed the same when you came in... Naress."  
"Nar-what?" the human's face contorted as she struggled to translate the grammar. The human's voice didn't really come out clear in either language, like she was skipping over the surface. Naress had to guess neither of the trained languages were her first...

"Nar-reese." She pronounced slowly and calmly and the human 'o'ed before sticking out what the Sangheili believe translated to 'paw'.

"Oh. Well pleased to meet you, I'm Kiara." The human female smiled, pleased with her work while Naress smiled back, talking the paw and gently shaking it. Kiara quickly let go and scooped up her things, charging into the bedroom on the left. "Dibs!"  
"Dibs?" The Sangheili called back but guessed she was 'claiming' and threw her things into the other room before watching the human. Strangely, compared to the serious demeter five minutes ago, 'Kiara' was calm and giddy. It seemed to talk only a matter of clicks before the girl's uniforms were folded and put away, the walls and dresser had items on it, the kitchen smelt of something tangy and Kiara was lounging on the couch, humming.

"So, you goanna unpack your stuff?" asked Kiara. Naress blinked several times.

"Oh yeah... You'll have to forgive me...I've uh...never seen a female human..."  
"Hehe, I've never seen a female Sangheili before. Let's say we're both surprised, eh?" The Sangheili was slightly amazed but shrugged. Maybe she was sheltered or just didn't get chances... Turning, Naress returned to her room and began to slowly unpack. The uniforms went first, followed by pictures on the dresser along with the Energy Sword handle. A single picture went on the roof above the head of the bed with a picture of Arbiter and Master Chef from the time of the war, the Halos behind them...

Naress smiled and left the room, trodding out to the couch. Kiara, who had been spread out over it, scooted to give her dorm-mate the respected room. Sitting, she blinked slowly but jerked when Kiara appeared right in her face.  
"...I'm sorry but I just wanted to see something," Kiara moved away as the Sangheili shook her head and neck.  
"And what would that be?"  
"If you guys actually had pupils."

"...you could have asked." The silence that followed was almost comical but Naress didn't care too much for it, "Where are you from?"  
"Reach. You?"  
"Sanghelios..."  
"Cool. Got any family back there?"  
"...not really... I ran away when I was little."  
"Oh..."

The conversation didn't go too far after that before an overhead bell rang. Kiara sprang to life.  
"Oh god, an assembly!"  
"Assembly?!" Naress followed her towards Kiara's room but only to have the door slammed in her face.  
"Yes! Get dress, hurry!" Naress rubbed her nose but quickly trotted into her room, pulling on a uniform before the bell rang again. "We've got five minutes!"  
"How do you know these things?!"  
"I've been on this base before, well, not as a PC but as a visitor."

Naress stepped out of her room right as Kiara was racing for the door, causing the Sangheili to have to bound after her as not to get shut out. It was rather nauseating at the sudden burst of noises and others rushing past; she would have been lost had Kiara not grabbed her hand and started sprinting, dragging Naress behind. Scenery went by in moments but suddenly they were sliding into the large courtyard, panting. The human quickly stood up straight and put her head up, looking over at the Sangheili as she copied her dorm-mate. Smiling at each other, the bell rang again and they cast their eyes forward at the platform.

Up above them was a human male, not very tall but decent. His skin was a dark-caramel like Kiara's, a long white scar running across his lips. Naress couldn't see the color of his eyes yet but they appeared brown. Kiara squealed next to her.  
"That's my brother!"  
"Your brother?" she asked quietly, lifting an eyebrow. Not bad.  
"Mmmhmmm, just recently made a warrant officer. He's been in here for three years, it take a long time to get your badges when not very much is happening..."  
"Greeting, new Peace Core Recruits, I am Warrant Officer Hale Kerse. I am here to welcome you...to hell," a murmur went across the crowd, "I'm kidding, but I am not lying when I say this will be some of the newest and toughest things many of you have experienced. I am here to set down some rules... I noticed some of you came in even after the third bell: that will be excused for now since you all are fresh and learning the systems. After today, for every second you arrive late after the third bell, you will be punished. Males, you are not allowed into any female quarters under any circumstances. Female, you have some leeway to enter but the 'open door' policy will be strictly enforced from Recruits to Sergeants for both genders. First meal is served strictly at o-sixhundred; second meal at thirteenhundred; third meal at nineteenhundred. Sick days are allowed to be excused from service if you are approved by the doctors and nurses. I believe I have run my mouth long enough so I will allow my teammate Warrant Officer Ubevin to speak."

The human stepped back, his blue uniform and medals sparkling in the sunlight as a much taller being stepped forward. It was rather hard to see because of the glare but Naress' eyes quickly adjusted. Her jaw loosened slightly as she gawked at the deep brown and silver speckled Sangheili standing on the platform in his blues; his medals-buttons-etc. sparkling with excellence. His shoulder were rather wide for his species but his wide swing of head as he looked over the recruits was intimidating as his golden eyes sparked with a mixture of humor and demanding respect. Giggling came from Naress ' right and she looked down to see Kiara smirking at her. The Sangheili was totally lost at the expression until she remembered that humans smirked when they knew or noticed things.

"What?" she whispered, causing Kiara to snicker and look forward.  
"You're gawking. You might be an alien and I may have just met you but I can tell when someone is checking out some booty~" Naress snorted at the girl's reply, glaring forward at the stand to only realize she just missed half the speech.  
"-under no circumstances. Your partner, or in this case your current dorm-mate, is to be valued as much as you value yourself. Without them you are nothing, you cannot be a part of Galactic Peace Core. For the next twelve weeks, you and your partner will be getting to know each other. Fighting styles, ways they think, background, plans, everything. Today, your first assignment begins. As you leave, you will each be handed a paper which you are to fill out about your partner's past. You have till the next assembly. All questions must be answered, but we will make exceptions if your partner has something they are not willing to share yet. Just come see one of us but points will still be deducted. We will NOT be reading what is wrote, just looking for completion on select questions... Any questions?"

The place was silent but someone right in front of Naress rose their hand. Ubevin nodded his head, allowing him to speak.  
"Do we get days off?"  
"Yes, six days every five weeks. Anything else?" Another question.  
"What if we don't like our partner and our partner doesn't like us?"  
"Deal with it, only 60 percent of you will stay in over the next 17 months. Next." The questions babbled on but soon a good question popped up from a boy not to far from the front.  
"Sir, is it possible we will die serving the Cause?"

The entire place went silent and Ubevin looked back, stepping away so Hale could answer. The human sighed, taking off his beret.  
"It is true, we do loose some in our strive for peace but they are not forgotten or abandon. No one is. And no one will be... That is why a partner is so important... I cannot tell you how many times Ubevin has saved my 'short ass' in a hostile situation." A light murmur of laughs surface while the Sangheili shook his head. Naress blinked slowly, looking down at Kiara. "So you need to treat your partner like a father, a mother, sister, brother, lover, friend, and yourself all at the same times because they depend on you and you depend on them... That is all we will be answering. Second meal begins in three minutes. You are all dismissed."

The crowd whooped and stampeded back for the building, Naress finding Kiara piggy-backing as they headed back and slammed the lunch line. Food cracked out, not smelling great but appearing appetizing. Naress had turned to get a seat when Kiara grabbed her shirt, tugging her.  
"What is it?"  
"C'mon, I want you to meat Hale and Ubevin!" Naress jerked, trying to pull but was too timid to actually not go where led and was awkwardly dragged over to a half-full table. "Hey Halllieeeee!"  
WO Hale looked up and turned, a smile suddenly crossing his face as he pushed out his chair and held out up his arms, catching the enthusiastic girl.  
"Kiki! Wow, look how much you've grown, sis!" The lunchroom had been watching until they heard 'sis' and immediately got bored, returning to their work. "What are you doing here?"  
Kiara began to blabber something Naress didn't understand so she glanced past the two at the table. Another Mgalekgolo and human greeted her glance but Ubevin had his back to her. She looked back at the pair before she was suddenly yanked forward and sat down between Kiki and Ubevin.

The male Sangheili looked up with a snort, glaring at Hale who sat down across form Kiara. "What the hell, man!?"  
"Relax, just my sister and her partner. They'll just be here for a minute."  
"They better be." He scowled softly, noting Naress staring at her plate, "...nervous?"  
"Huh?" Naress looked up. Holy shit, his eyes were like sunshine beams. She gulped, looking down again. "A l-little, sir..."  
"Eh, I feel yah. Don't worry you'll get use to it." Ubevin returned to his food and Naress felt much more at ease while she started eating, listening to brother and sister carry on.

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_I finished this chap at 1 AM, sorry if it suxks _

_Please R&R!_


	3. A Set Schedule

**I DO NOT OWN HALO (I wish I did) BUT I DO OWN ALL OCs.**

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"Bye!" called Kiara as the two left the table, Naress dwaddling after. Hale and Ubevin, who where already walking away, both waved slightly then engaged in conversation. Naress hadn't said more then the handful of words at the beginning of the 45 minute meet and greet. Strangely, neither had Ubevin... maybe he was naturally quiet. The Sangheili felt a gentle prodding on her side and glanced down at Kiara, who was smirking at her.

"What is it this time?"  
"You were pretty quiet~"  
"I am always quiet."  
"You weren't earlier," Kiara sniggered, causing Naress to roll her eyes.  
"I highly suggest that you not piss me off to when we're in the battlefield I can knock you over the back of the head."

The human rolled her eyes and headed back for their dorm room, getting inside and falling on the couch. Sangheili followed, plopping down after. "Do you have those questions?" Kiara surfaced two sheets of paper.  
"Yep. Shall we answer the first questions?"  
"Why not..." Naress took her paper, eying it over. "Okayyy... I have no siblings and do not know about my parents. You?"  
"One sibling, Hale, and was raised by him. So no parents. Trained under Hale, also."  
"I trained under Master Jui'nemar... Favorite food is your human-y 'sodas'"  
"I'm Spaghetti. Which soda type?"  
"There are more then one?" Naress looked up in surprise, causing Kiara to giggle.  
"Yes, a whole bunch more. What's the can look like?"  
"Well... It's green and yellow and has a little 'lime' thing on the front... Limon?"  
"Yep, that's it. I speak Spanish, Galactic Klick, English."  
"Sanghelish, Galactic Click, and English... What's Spanish?"

Kiara blinked, "Well, back from earth we had tons of languages. They all carried over to Reach, too. My brother and I use to speak Spanish before Klick and English, since my parents were from 'Mexican' roots."  
"What does it sound like?" Naress cocked her head, interested. Kiara blinked before her eyes lidded and she spoke in the smoothest voice like a bird skimming the surface of water.  
"_Cuando usted mira en los halos, su rostro parece alegrar como la Luna._*"  
"...wow." Naress blinked several times, amazed at the foreign speech.  
"Thanks, what does Sanghelish sound like?"

The Sangheili stared for a moment before lowering her head and let out a series of low clicks and whistles along with what sounded like yaps. Kiara began to laugh, "You sound like a dolphin!"  
"Well you sound like a drunk fish," the two continued to laugh at each other as they went down the twenty questions. Another bell rang. Naress looked up, then at the clock.  
"What's that for?" Kiara looked about to answer but a voice crackled in over the intercom.  
"Good afternoon troops. Right about now all of you should be getting your schedule sheets through the 'fax' next to your projection area in your dorms. Please pick them up and memorize them so you know what you are to be doing after tomorrow. We will notify you of any changes, thank you."

A clicking noise was heard like a telephone being set down while the wall opposite the girls began to whirr. Kiara crossed over and got it, sitting back down. The list read:

_Wake up/ Get Ready : 05:00 to 05:55_  
_Breakfast : 06:00 to 06:30  
Weapons Training : 06:35 to 08:35  
Daily Brief : 08:40 to 08:55  
Meeting with Peers : 09:00 to 09:45  
Exercise One : 09:50 to 10:50  
Lessons One : 10:55 to 12:55  
Lunch : 13:00 to 13:30  
Drills : 13:35 to 14:35  
Lessons Two : 14:50 to 16:50  
Exercise Two : 16:55 to 17:55  
Daily Assignments : 17:35 to 18:55  
Dinner : 19:00 to 19:30  
Free Time : 19:35 to 21:59  
Bed : 22:00_

"Seems easy..." muttered Naress as Kiara peered at it.  
"Well trainings and lessons are two hours long... daily assignment are an hour and the half... meal times are a half hour long...everything else is an hour."  
"That seems short... What are daily assignments?"  
"Ummmm... It says it ranges from homework to laundry to heavy physical labor. Hey, meeting with peers is basically like free time but we can't return to our rooms."  
"That's nice..."

Naress and Kiara poured over the schedule and the questions for the next few hours, quizzing each other on the schedule every so often. It wasn't till the dinner bell rang that they realized how hungry they were and piled out of the room. Again, Naress was mercilessly dragged to Hale and Ubevin's table and sat in the same spot. Ubevin was heavily unamused.

"Hale." The growling noise coming from his throat made Naress move away, almost making Kiara fall off the edge of the bench seat.  
"Yes, my dear Ubevin?" Hale put his chin on his hand, resting his elbow on the table and fluttering his eyelids. It was hard not to laugh at the strange display, as it seemed like everyone else seated besides the male Sangheili was.  
"I thought we agreed to only one meal."  
"Yeah but I haven't seen my sister for the longest time and you need to start making friends of your own species again, so get over it."

The other human was mouthing words to Kiara who was silently giggling and nodding as Ubevin and Hale stared at each other. Ubevin, after some awkward time, gave in whilst shaking his head and clicking something out that sounded like 'little shit'. Naress clicked back an apology but was distracted when the girl next to her squealed.  
"Hale why did you never tell me Sangheili could sound like dolphins?" she smiled and Ubevin looked at Naress.  
"Dolphins?" he asked quietly, getting a shrug from the female but Hale thankfully saved her.  
"A large water mammal that's blue and looks like a water bottle with a tail and fins. And go ahead and think it's cute, Kiki, but it gets REALLY annoying when they get excited or scared."  
"I'll have to wait and see~"

Naress was quiet as she continued to listen to the conversation before looking across the table at the Mgalekgolo. After a moment of staring, he seemed...familiar.  
"Excuse be, but...Didn't I run into you in the hall today?" she asked and the Mgalekgolo paused, thinking then grinned.  
"Aye, we did! Good to see you again, eeerrrrmmmm..."  
"Naress," she smiled, offering her hand in which it grabbed and shook.  
"I'm Neino, this is my partner Jacko," he gestured to the human who dipped his head, unable to speak because of his mouthful of food.

"You ran into him? I feel sorry for you," smirked Ubevin, receiving a glare from the bigger alien. A noise like a child screaming while at the same time squeezing a squeaky toy erupted from the male Sangheili's throat as he lept up, shaking his leg. Naress and Kiara watch in confusion while the other side of the table began to laugh their asses off. A snake-creature flopped out of Ubevin's pants after much thrashing and jumping. Kiara frowned.

"I SWEAR IN THE ORACLE THE NEXT TIME YOU DO THAT I WILL LOCK YOU IN SOLITUDE TILL YOU FALL APART." Screeched the frustrated Sangheili, some of the recruits watching but most of them deflected by privates or highers, told not to stare. The boys continued to laugh but Kiara glared at them as Naress looked sympathetically at Ubevin.  
"Whatever~" chuckled Neino, but he shut up after the glare Kiara was giving him. Hale was the last to stop laughing as his partner sat, fuming. The two Sangheili began to click at each other after the male hissed something as Kiara efficiently began scolding the three.

"You guys are so mean to each other. Sticking snakes up the other's pants?!"  
"Hey, it was the best option at the time. I was closest."  
"That shouldn't matter. I understand he offended you but a simple comeback could have sufficed," she crossed her arms, glaring. Jacko began chuckling.  
"You got a pretty convincing sis there, Hale. She's definitely going places."  
"I know," he said quietly, "It's scares me." The boys laughed again, still being glared at but their attention was shorter then your intelligence.

Meanwhile Naress and Ubevin were having a quiet conversation in which no one could eavesdrop. She felt calm now, speaking in her own tongue at her own pace.  
"So you were trained under Jui'nemar?"  
"Yes, I just recently got out of training..."  
"I see. My uncle was trained by him."  
"I think I heard about him... Jui'nemar spoke of his past apprentices when he was proud of me, I suppose."  
"You are very lucky to be trained by him. It will help you to not lose your way."  
"Heh...That was his favorite line, 'Don't Loose Your Way'."  
"My uncle commonly quoted it... Say, we should have a spar sometimes, see where Jui'nemar's tactics match up."  
"We can spar? I mean, I knew we could, but with higher-ups?" Nerass blinked, looking excited. Ubevin nodded.  
"After you battle your partner for a few days, yes. Maybe after you get settled in, about a week from now."  
"That'd be great! Sure! I've never even met anyone who's had anything similar to Jui'nemar's training."  
"Well I'm sure Kiara will know a little from what Hale has learned off me. So be careful."

Naress smiled before looking back at her partner to realize the strange looks she was getting. Looking over at Hale who was smirking, the other human who looked entirely irritated, Neino who had a containing spitting laughter grimace, and Kiara who had a poker face that could rival a walls; the Sangheili frowned.

"...what?"  
"Where you two just planning a date or something?" smirked Hale and Ubevin shook his head.  
"A spar. Turns out her training is very similar to mine."  
"Ooooohhhhh," said Kiara, nodding and looking back to Hale, "I understand what you mean by slightly annoying when they get excited. Still cute, though."  
"Told you."

* * *

*'_When you look up at those Halos, your eyes light up like the moon'_ (used GOOgle)

_**Please R&R!**_


	4. The Link

**I DO NOT OWN HALO (I wish I did) BUT I DO OWN ALL OCs.**

* * *

The next morning proved a task for the teammates. Breakfast wasn't too bad beside Ubevin scaring the 'shit' out of Kiara when she tried to nab his bagel. Weapon's training was basic but did give them insight into names and shapes of unknown weapons, along with being aloud to pick their current 'peaceful' and 'hostile' future weapons of choice if they wanted. Daily brief was a run-over of missions recently completed by higher-ups and giving the classes ideas on what they might be doing. Then the mass of recruits found that to their dismay, meeting with peers time was homework time. But the first Exercise Hour proved itself.

As the 'class' slowly filed into a large room, the director of the hour stood atop his soap-box, clearing his throat. "Since today is the first day, we are going to initiate your 'Teammate Link'. So, as I call your name, you will step forward and enter these curtains. But first, any volunteers to go first and be our example?"  
The room was silent, even Kiara didn't want to raise her hand, looking like she knew and slightly feared what was behind those sheets of fabric. Finally, a human female raised her hand.

"My teammate and I will volunteer, sir." The brunettes curly ponytail swayed behind her as her partner, a male human, also nodded.  
"Thank you What are your names?"  
"Jesla Cutter" said the female, followed by the male's "Hunter Lee."  
"Well, Hunter and Jesla, you just earned 25 points of extra credit. Each." The group gasped and the two headed forward to the curtains as the director flipped on a projecting image not to far away.

On the image, Jesla and Hunter were sat down in chairs not to far away from each other and were being told to do something which the rest of the group couldn't hear.  
"Now our volunteers are seated in support chairs and strapped in so we can turn their chair were they backs are flat and necks to the air." As he spoke the two were strapped in then turned, their foreheads and chins placed delicately on supports. "Then after they are secured, we shave and sterilize the back of their neck and above their ears before giving them a tiny shot of a numbing agent in both places."

Kiara winced next to Naress, who looked down at her and blinked before looking back at the screen. At the moment, they were both getting their shots. Jesla seemed to wince but Hunter glared at the ground. Then came the scary part as those attending the two gently placed suction cups on the spots and backed away, flicking a switch. The two jerked simultaneously, yelping so loud it was heard through the curtains. The group began to murmur in fright, unable to look away as another 'nurse' came over to the frozen patients and squirted a green gel into tubes attached to suctions cups.

"What the hell are they doing?"  
"Ah, sorry, forgot to keep explaining. The suction cups have tiny needles in them, unable to be felt because if the numb-er. When they flick the switch, our doctors send a tiny volt of electricity that turns on every sensory nerve in the body. Then the give them what we call 'The Link'."

"What is the Link?"

"The Link is a chemical mixed with a very special microorganism. If you cut one in half, one exactly identical grows like it and together they share pain, thoughts, affections, etc... Though you will not be sharing EVERYTHING with your partner, you will share what you allow and configure yourself to."

The two volunteers were then sat up, the suction cups removed and gently unstrapped before nurses led them slowly out of sight. "You will then be taken to a cool-down room. We made sure everyone here had Lessons next so this and that can inter-merge."  
"Is this the only station?"  
"Nope, every recruit is getting themselves 'linked' today. Alright, as I call your names you will enter and go to the station I tell you to. "

Kiara grabbed Naress' hand, causing the Sangheili to look down. Kiara was shaking, looking a little sweaty.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I...I hate needles..." Naress 'o'ed, patting her head. Then, thinking, the gently pinched Kiara's neck. The girl jerked, punching Sangheili in the hip. "What the hell?!"  
"I was pre-numbing the spot. You'll barely feel it now," she grimaced, rubbing the sore spot  
"...really?"  
"Yep, works for me."

Kiara was silent for a while before pinching and yanking the spots, wincing every so often but seemingly enjoying the idea of not feeling needles.  
"Alright, Kiara and Naress! Room 3."  
"That's us," sighed Naress before stepping forward, the human quickly following after. Surprisingly, Kiara got in her seat first, patting the armrest and swinging her legs, looking ready to go. The Sangheili smiled, sitting down and waiting as nurses strapped them in. Once the chairs were inverted though, her teammate started to whine.

"Hey Kiara, it okay. Relax, hey. Look over here." Kiara's rested her chin down and her eyes swiveled over to look at her friend. Naress blinked, "Hum a tune."  
"What tune?"  
"Do you know the tune for 'Soldier's March'?"  
"No...oh! Do you know any Japanese songs?"  
"Ummm... possibly..."  
"Here, listen." Kiara shut her eyes and began to hum a tune very quietly, flicking her finger to it. Naress narrowed her eyes, thinking it sounded rather familiar. A sharp pain came to the back of her neck but she ignored it despite Kiara gasping when the numb-er was administered to her. Her eyes began to water and she sniffled as Naress looked over.

"Kiara, look it me. Keep humming or sing it I don't care, then watch."  
"Why?"  
"Just watch."  
"Okay..." Kiara blinked before shakily starting. "Doonn't...loose your wwayyyy..." As she sang, Naress stuck one of her 'jaws' out and wiggled it at each word. Kiara stopped, suddenly shutting her mouth as her face turned red, trying to hold in giggles.  
"C'mon, keep going," smirked the Sangheili, wiggling her jaws again as the human continued. Kiara was too distracted giggling and singing to noticed the suction cups placed on but the two did yelp when the surge of electricity blasted through them.

It felt like a Warthog hit them. Kiara groaned loudly as her partner tried to shake her head of the feeling but was too stiff. Naress began to feel something like an itch on her temples and neck, the itch increasing until she wanted to scream but it faded before she could. She was about to call out to her partner when another shock of electricity jolted her out of her trance. Her brain went into overdrive and the Sangheili kicked out, making the chair wobble and shake as she didn't remember where she was. Incoherent babbling was heard and she kicked again, making a loud screeching noise. Then, Kiara.

"_Easy, easy... Easy..." _Naress panted, kicking again but the voice came back, _"Naress, it's fine, we're in the GPC Linking Stations, remember?"  
"...Yes."  
"Good... Now calm down, open your eyes, tell me what you see." _

The Sangheili cracked her eyes open, seeing the startled nurse and doctor before looking around. Kiara was still strapped in, eyes shut. "_I see the nurses...the doctor...and you...but you look asleep... Wait...how are we talking?"_

Kiara's eyes snapped open and immediately went to her partner. A shiver ran down both their spines before the human was slowly turned and unstrapped, the doctor following en-suit on Naress. When they were free, they stumbled over to each other, wide eyed and curious. They could feel each other's pulse, smell the air around them... Kiara naturally flattened her hand when she felt Naress use the wall for support, looking over as she saw both what herself and her partner were seeing. They looked down at each other, amazed at seeing themselves and their friend.  
_"...We're Linked..." _

Apparently they weren't the only two feeling this, as those who had gone before were sitting in the recovery room, either staring at their partners or at the world around them. Some higher-ups were attending to a few pairs, apparently showing them how to get a basic grip on this new world. Ubevin and Hale were waiting on a bench not to far away, grinning at the group. The strange mix of emotions towards the two from each other made Naress shake her head, groaning before she flopped against the wall next to where Kiara was sitting on the ground, staring at nothing.

"Enjoying yourselves?" asked Hale, receiving a glare simultaneously and starting to laugh. Ubevin smirked, shaking his head and looking at the two.  
"Okay guys, let get you two configured. Kiara, Naress... think about a wall... Now think about a chain-link wall."  
"Okay..."  
"Now place each other on the opposite side. This separates yourself as being but still keeps you in contact. Now think as the chain-link wall keeping everything you DON'T want your partner into and put it on your side." It took them a while but soon Kiara nodded, opening her eyes. Nerass took a little longer.

"Good. Now picture yourself at a table, a small one, sitting on opposite sides. On this table is everything you're fine with your partner looking at or feeling or anything like that. Put those things on the table." Again, the girls shut their eyes. Naress laughed loudly at one point and Kiara stomped her foot, causing Hale to smile. They took longer this time, giggles being exchanged.  
"Alright. Lastly, you're on a couch. Everything else immediate goes on this couch. That shouldn't be hard to do... Let's see how this goes. Both of you, search for your partner's childhood friend then nod when you find it. Ready... go."

It took only moments before the two opened their eyes and nodded. Ubevin nodded back, "Good, that should have been in the 'table' section. Now, second favorite food, go." Again, only moments before they had it and nodded. Ubevin ran them through this several times before looking at them both. "Okay, this one will be a bit trickier. See if you can climb that chain-link fence and grab something from you friend before they knock you back. Ready? Go."

The two squeezed their eyes shut, looking like they were physically straining. It was several minutes before Kiara bust out, "I KNEW IT!" The boys fell back in sudden surprise as Naress' eyes shot open.  
"Hey!"  
"I knew it I knew itIknewitIknew-"  
"Well now I 'know' something so don't you open your mouth, 'missy'."

The two glared at each other as the boy laughed and Ubevin patted their shoulders. "Good job. Work on the chain-link fence a little more but know your partner may still need to get over it sometimes and anything can be moved from section to section. Now, are any of you having double vision? Echos? Phantom touches or itches?"

"After I put up my 'fence' I wasn't having that anymore... so...  
"Yeah same here."  
"And now, for the last test."

Hale suddenly reached over and pinched Kiara's side. Instantly, Nerass felt the some pain in the exact spot on her body but only jerked compared to her partner's full-out explosion. Ubevin crossed his arms, smirking as he watched sibling beat the tar out of sibling but occasionally flinched. Naress only watched, grinning widely before the recoveries were shooed from the room and sent to lunch.

* * *

_**Might upload two chapters today!**_

_**Please R&R!**_


	5. Pushing It

******I DO NOT OWN HALO (I wish I did) BUT I DO OWN ALL OCs.**  
WARNING: Some suggestive thoughts in this chapter between two random - marks!

* * *

The lunch room was loud today. Naress winced a little as two recruits yelled playfully at each other and snuck over the table, diving into her spot. Ubevin slid in after her, then Kiara on the other side.

"_Holy crap, I can feel Ubevin's body heat. You guys have body heat?!"  
"Of course... but since our bodies are lower temperature, humans don't feel it like we do."  
"...Hmmmmmm~"  
"Kiara no."_

Kiara smirked at her friend, then at Hale when he sat down. "So what was it like when you two linked?"  
"Ho boy... Well Ubevin panicked after the second shock, kinda like you did, Naress. Then we couldn't stop going back and forth for hours, cracking jokes and such. We were so tried the next day...I think the worst part though is when you could think of something and then shove the image into your linked mind."  
"You can do that?" Kiara asked and Ubevin started chuckling.  
"Mmmmhmmmmm... We had an older lady for our teacher-"  
"DON'T."  
"And I remember in class whenever he'd start dazing off-"  
"I'LL COME ACROSS THIS TABLE, UBEVIN."  
"I'd think of an old lady butt and shove the image of that along with our teachers head atta-" Ubevin didn't get to finish because Hale came soaring over the table, tackling his teammate and the two went to the floor. Others watched in amazement as Hale held his comrade's mouth shut.

"NO. NO. NO. NEVER SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN. PLEASE." Ubevin was trying to get air as he laughed into his own mouth and the hands, "I'M SERIOUS. PROMISE." Ubevin successfully pushed his hands away.

"Okay, okay, I promise."

The girls were snickering at the two as they sat back at the table. Ubevin only smiled while Hale looked like he was roasting alive. And that's when Kiara got an idea. She slowly started to grin, contorting an image her mind. Her teammate, meanwhile, was completely oblivious as she sipped juice, clicking to Ubevin about something having to do with links. Hale noticed his sibling's expression, silently starting to grin. Kiara winked before looking at her teammate.

"_Hey Naress~"  
"What?"_

* * *

Naress was suddenly shoved into a short thought where she was smooching deeply, enveloped by a lover. Warm bodies were very close and hot breathes tickled down her neck as the species' noises laced the air. The lighting was a dark red, disguising some parts of the room and the lover as she felt a jaw brush over hers. Opening her eyes, she saw beautiful golden eyes staring back.

* * *

The poor Sangheili's face exploded into a blush and she grabbed it, "OhmygodKiarawhy-" She whispered, sinking her head to the table and curling up partially. Kiara began hooting in laughter and Hale banged the table, only guessing what she could have been pushed. Ubevin blinked in confusion, looking between the two humans before crossing his arms.

"Whatever you just did I'm sure that was rather _impending_ on Naress' boundaries..." he huffed. Naress couldn't even look up, staring wide eyed at the table as her teammate fell off the chair, still laughing.  
"I-I-I'm sorry but hohOOO- I coOOUAHAHA!-H-H-Help myssssseelllfff pffFFTTTT-" Kiara rolled all over the floor while Hale wheezed, laying his upper body down on the table. Finally, after several long embarrassing minutes of staring at the table Naress finally glared over at her teammate, who was sitting back at the table. Kiara looked over, but craned backwards when the Sangheili's growling face got dangerously close.

"Never. _Ever. _Do that to me again," she hissed out, mentally slamming the human in the head. Kiara jerked, shaking her head and groaning while Naress got up and stalked up to go get ready for drills. Ubevin and Hale stared after her, a bit put off and heavily worried.

Naress tried to ignore her teammate for most of the day. It did give her a headache though, seeing Kiara looking so dull. Drills were surprisingly easy, but lessons were a pain. They did have to interlace with mental speech so the headaches started to fade by the end of the lesson. When they went outside for exercise, though, things began to look up.

"Today, we are doing practice duels. You will fight with your teammate to learn strengths and weaknesses, so that way you can help your teammate grow in both the defensive and offensive areas. We have ten platforms open, and you will be limited to three minute rounds. Listen for your first names names, and be prepared at the end of the day to give me your team names. Alright, first up..."

Kiara looked over at Naress, blinking and sighing. Maybe she could talk to her while she was fighting. Their names were called for the 6th platform, being handed battling gloves along with rubber energy swords. Once all groups were on a platform, a strong glass barrier sprung up around them. The two looked around then at each other before getting into battle stance. They had both different stances. Kiara stood into a boxer stance, shoulder back and fists up with one foot a bit behind the other while Naress 'clawed' her hands, stepping one foot much further back then the other and getting low like a bull.

A buzzer rang. Naress struck first, aiming for a kick in the knees. Her partner jumped it, rolling to the side and landing a punch on her partner's hip before rolling away again. The Sangheili grumbled, turning on her toes and smacking the human lightly in the face. Kiara shook her head, glaring then following up punching in a rhythm hard to block.  
_"Can we talk?"  
"Maybe."_ Naress stomped forward, knee lightly ramming her partner's chest before throwing her back by the shoulders. The human staggered around but sprung back forward, administering punches.  
_"I... I wanted to apologize about lunch... I was being immature and didn't realize that could trigger you..."_  
_"Really? Why not?" _Naress ducked a face-aimed punch, pushing Kiara away with a hand.  
_"W-well...I'm not exactly 'clean' ...I didn't know you still were."_

It took a moment for Naress to register and during the time the rubber energy sword bent against her tummy. She grouched, smacking it away as the bell rang, signaling round one ending and to get back in their stances. The bell rang again and Kiara immediately got her with a jump-kick to the shoulder, causing the Sangheili to stumble back.  
_"Clean... Well our species takes mates for life before we become 'unclean', if that's what you mean..."  
"Ooooo, I understand."  
"Why don't humans do that?"_ The opposite stamped again, getting her in the chest and pushing her back by the shoulders when she landed. Kiara was fast learner though, ducking and punching the side of the alien's kneecap. Naress hissed, boxing her on the side of the head.

_"Well we like our freedoms and to get to know our 'mates' before we keep them. I've been dating my boyfriend for three years; we might get married. Have you dated?"  
"I have courted before, yes, but I was too indulged into my training," s_he lashed out with the energy sword this time, getting the human across the back of the legs while she was trying to recover from the head boxing. Backlash followed and a sharp sting riddled the Sangheili's upper arm from the energy sword replica.  
_"Soooo, then what do you see in my brother's friend? We both see you have a lil bit of attra-"  
"I just like his eyes and demeter. So far, that's it, but I don't know him enough to label him any type of mate or courting materiel... Though now that you put that _stupid_ image in my head it's going to be hard to weigh out other options."  
"Please to do business with ya~" _

Kiara received a swift playful kick to the butt. In response, Naress was poked in the thigh with the sword. The second bell rang, and they dropped into position. This time it was pure battle as the punched and blocked with all their might, trying to kick out each other's legs or clock 'em on the cheek.  
_"...You to realize though the males are the ones who have kids, right?"_  
_**"WHAT?!" **_Kiara yelled out loud, giving Naress enough time to trip her and poke-stab her in the chest. Grimacing, the human got back up. _"You're kidding."_  
_"Nope. Read about it. It's the main reason males have the final say in most things : They go through excruciating pain to earn their status."_ Naress smirked, nodding as the human stared in horror and slight jealousy for the Sangheili species while still on defense of the continual punches.  
_"Does that mean it's like...opposite roles?"  
"No. We still make the eggs, accept the seeds, and carry the embryos for a maximum of a few weeks before the male gets them when they're about pinhead size. It's so we can regulate how many are hatched and what sex they will be, then the males do incubation and delivery since their bodies are much stronger."  
"That pretty amazin'."_

Kiara finally got a kick, getting the female in the crotch section. Naress wheezed, dropping back and getting a few good socks to the head before grabbing her partner's fist and spinning her upside-down. The human landed on her back but poke-stabbed the Sangheili in the chest before she was tackled, using her feet and arms to throw her back. Springing to life, they smacked energy sword together, sliding them down each other. Amazingly, Kiara and Naress drew heads back at the same time and headbutted, effectively knocking each other flat on their backs in pain when the bell rang. They continued to lay on the ground, hands on their heads even after the walls went down.

"_Remind me to never headbutt you again..."  
"Same..." _Kiara got up first, staggering over and pulling Naress to her feet before the two wobbled back to the director of the hour. The tired old woman eyed them and sighed, shaking her head.  
"Too rough out there but it'll do for today. Got a team name, yet?" The friends paused, looking at each other before grinning and looking back to the director, eyes glittering.  
"Pathfinders."

* * *

**_Please R&R!_**


	6. Glamfabuluos

**NO OWN-O HALO!**

* * *

"Greetings, recruits! I'm Delilah, and I will be your daily assignment director!" The Huragok clapped her two front tendrils together, eyes blinking creepily. Kiara looked weirded out but Naress only smiled and nodded, waiting for her to go on. "What I'd like you is write your team-name on a little slip of paper, then we're going to pair up the names we draw for the next 48 hours. After that, you can tell the class what you thought of each other. Good luck!"

Kiara groaned a little before taking the tiny paper given to her, writing down the name and plopping it in the bucket as it went by. Naress looked down at her, smirking.  
"I thought you liked these types of things?"  
"Not when there are some weirdo perverts in the room..." The two glanced back at a group of four males whole were licking their 'chops' while eying the girls around them. Delilah noticed.

"I didn't realize we had some human dogs in the room... Or are you simply forgetting to not drool yourselves in my classroom?" she smiled sweetly as the four looked at her. Slowly, they swallowed and looked between each other.  
"S-Sorry ma'am..."  
"Thank you. Team names in the bucket, please~" The director finally floated back up front but set the bucket down, "Now, I'm sure you're ALL wondering why something this childish would be assigned to you. Daily assignments are meant for not only learning with your teammate but also learning how you and your teammate respond to others. With Links, you can understand who or what makes your teammate uncomfortable, happy, sad, and so on. So!"

The limbs went in then came out, papers flying. Naress was nailed right in the head, yelping and pulling the paper away with a growl.  
"Team Glam... what?" she muttered and Kiara leaned over, suddenly squealing.  
"It's Jesla and Hunter! Team Glamfabulous!"  
"...strange name..." The room exploded into teams looking for other teams as the director sung out "When you find your teams sit at an open table!"

Currently, the room had seven tables, each with fours seats. There were 14 teams scrambling everywhere. It didn't take long for Pathfinders to find Glamfabuluos, as Kiara dragged her teammate to the table the two were already seated at. The humans looked nervous but at the sight of the two coming over, they smiled.

"Hi!"  
"Hi guys! I'm guessing you got our team?" Jesla smiled widely and Hunter giggled, blinking his bright emerald eyes. Jesla looked to be some type of Romanian-descendant with a short round made-up face and stocky body, a hazel tint to her eyes as her curly hair surrounded her face. Hunter, on the other hand, appeared of African-descendant with a tall lean body but deadlocks tied back into a pony-tail, nails glittering something fierce.  
"Yu-uh! Pretty snazzy name if you ask me~" Kiara sat, followed by her nervous teammate. "I'm Kiara, and this is Naress."  
"Nice to meet you! Jesla."  
"Hunter, dearies~" the guy grinned, flashing his pretty white teeth. Naress rolled her eyes a little but at the same time was slightly confused on human gesturing, so maybe he was being nice...  
"Weren't you two the volunteers from earlier today?" Kiara asked in excitement. Jesla nodded with the same emotion.  
"Oh yes! It was scary but totally worth the extra credits. Hey, are you guys going to the party tomorrow night?"  
"...party?"

The two looked at each other before returning confused glances to the human teammates. Hunter smiled, leaning forward.  
"Every month, they have a party the night right before free-day, since after dinner your free to do whatever. It's open to ALL PC's. Almost everyone goes; music's great, place is awesome, and the boys there are GORGEOUS. Trust me, hun, you wanna be there~"  
"I wonder if brother will be going," Kiara mused quietly, rubbing her chin. Papers were suddenly given to their table and they looked them over. The teams looked confused, eagerly looking up for explaining.

Delilah returned to her table, "Usually I give out pads but you are doing a scavenger hunt! The list is rather long, and I don't expect you to find EVERYTHING but more points ensues with more finds. Again, your have 48 hours after class ends. But for now, get to know your new friends! Thank you~"  
Kiara spun in her chair instantly, grinning at Hunter and Jesla. "While we hang out, we should talk about this party! I wanna know about it~"  
"Sure thing!" Jesla giggled, "First off, I don't think intoxication items or liquids are allowed to those under Sergeant grade or 21 years. There's a lot of dancing and lounging in the couches; you rarely see anyone alone or unhappy. It's friends, couples, and recruit groups."  
"Didn't you hook up with someone when you went last time, Jesla?" asked Hunter quietly, causing the girl to giggle.  
"You have been looking through my head~ I did but it was short, I think he liked my skirt better then my personality."

"...skirt?" Naress asked in confusion, looking at Jesla like her head had just been swapped with a Unggoy's . Jesla cocked her head sideways.  
"Have you never worn a skirt before?"  
"I've never even worn anything more then my training uniform and these blues..." Team Glamfabuluos mirrored the Sangheili's face before looking at each other.  
"We're totally raiding Lula's bin tonight."  
"No question about it."  
"And you're joining us, both of you."  
"But I have cute outfits," Kiara laughed but Jesla shook her head.  
"Cute is cute, but hot is required. Lula's bin literally is a party saver."

Meanwhile the poor, clueless Sangheili was shrinking farther and farther back into her chair, looking terrified, "U-Um...I think I'll pass on this party..."  
"What?! No, come on, Naress!" Her teammate whined, grabbing her arm, "You have to come, I don't want to go without you."  
"But-"  
"What are you scared of?" asked Jesla, looking confident, "It's just a party! Beside, the hunters there are the BEST perv deflectors. If you walk towards them at all any guy tailing yah will deflect. They're really sweet too; they just come there to chill, smoke, and protect dames."  
"Well it sounds fun, but-"  
"Are you scared my brother and Ubevin will be there?" Kiara asked, a hint of teasing in her voice. The Sangheili snorted.  
"Barely. I've just... never been to a party."  
"Well that's going to change very soon, dearie, very soon~" Hunter grinned, causing Naress to only sink down further. What had she gotten into?

:::

Dinner time was just as interesting. Apparently Neino and Jacko where gone on a mission, which meant room for the two guest. Ubevin was the exact opposite of excited or welcoming, actually to a point were Naress had to scold him in her own tongue. He simmered down afterwards but did get interested with the talk between Hunter, Jesla, Hale and Kiara. They spoke of music, idols, ideas, leaders, hopes, the past, and occasionally an animal or two they remembered from their home planet; all in less than 20 minutes. Meanwhile Naress just listened, eating her supper quietly before Ubevin clicked at her.

"So... I guess this table's going to be empty for a bit," he said quietly, pushing his empty tray away. Naress stopped what she was doing and cocked her head sideways.  
"Whatcha mean?"  
"Hale and I deploy after Free Day for a mission. It's estimated we'll be gone a month at the most... I guess that means we won't get to battle either till we get back."

Naress almost let herself slip and visibly droop but she caught herself; instead rolling her shoulders and smiling sadly.  
"Awwww, that's a shame. I was really looking forward to that battle..."  
"Same here... Say, you going to that party tomorrow?"  
"The monthly party?... Ummmm... Kinda... I'm being dragged there." Naress smiled awkwardly but the smiled twisted when Ubevin laughed. Sangheili laughs, unlike human laughs, resembled moreso a dolphin call; each Sangheili laugh unique in their own way. This one was a long drawn out crackle with a small wheeze at the beginning, deep and echoing in his chest. The strange outburst caused those sitting at the table to pause their conversation and stare in wonder, amazed at the interesting and distantly familiar noise. Ubevin did ignore the looks as did Naress.

"Well that's understandable, I don't think any Sangheili isn't dragged there the first time, heh... If you need a break from your kidnappers come to the more calmer parts of the place; you'll probably find Hale and I along with some of our buds." Ubevin began to look up, still clicking, "I better go pack. See you either later tonight or when we get back, aye?"  
"Aye~" she smiled, watching him trot off before turning to the group, her face dropping. The four were staring at her... and smirking. Except Hale who looked like he was laughing, not smirking. Naress instantly growled.

"No."

"I think yes."  
"Definably yes," Hunter giggled after Jesla started nodded with huge head swings, grinning.  
"Guys, we were just talking about the party and he found it funny how all Sangheili seemed to be dragged there. Nothing more. Shesh." She went to sip her juice but Kiara stopped smiling, face forming into a frown.  
"...y'kay?"  
"Huh?"  
"I thought I felt something weird..."  
"Might be the juice," Naress lied, shrugging and turning her head back to what she was doing. Truly, she was rather sad to see her new friend have to leave so soon... Oh well, so was life in the Peace Core...

* * *

_**Uh-oh, I see where this party is going... What do you think?**_


	7. Alcohol is Bad

**No own halo. This chapter is a little longer then the others!**

* * *

Naress was trying to resist being dragged by the three humans, feet skittering on the ground as they tugged her along, huffing and puffing. They were deep in the compounds halls, heading for the 'storage' compartment. Jesla and Kiara each had an arm, pulling from the front as Hunter came from behind, pushing her by her lower back. Their equal force barely maxed out over the Sangheili's max as she skittered, trying to get away.

"Guys I'm not doing this! Nononono-" Naress babbled loudly, trying to pull her arms away. Kiara grunted.  
"Y-Yess you are! I'm n-not doing this alone!" Unfortunately for Kiara, she wasn't looking where she was going and fell backward down some stairs, dragging her partner and Jesla down after. Hunter, at least, had grabbed the rail as they bounced down the flight and ended up in a huge pile of clothes.  
"You guys okay?!" he called, hanging on still.  
"I broke a nail."  
"I broke my spleen."

"I broke everything."

The male trailed after them, shutting the door at the bottom of the stairs as Jesla popped her head up, looking around, "This place is HUGE! We must have first dibs..." Kiara was already picking through things as the alien dug herself under the pile, trying to ignore everything around her.  
"Why can't I wear my blues?!  
"Because they're not acceptable unless you're a guy! Tell you what, we'll find something that's still comfortable and cute, okay?"  
"Whatever..."

Kiara sprung from the pile, she was wearing a fake-leather miniskirt, gold tanktop, sheen pink baggy longsleeve, and black leggings to her shins. "How do I look?" Jesle and Hunter blinked, humming.  
"Shorten the leggings." Kiara blinked and attempted to shorten them almost to her knees. "Better! Now just find some heels from the shoe pile."  
Jesla went next, not even taking long. She yanked a tight white sport-bra looking item with multicolored pieces of fabric string dangling from it, then a pair of white booty shorts with the same exact type of dangle fabric. Naress winced, noting she was more of a wild one. Hunter took no time at all, squeezing himself into skinny jeans then a low v-neck tank top, pulling those fuzzy wrist things on his forearms. The girls were laughing to each other as they tossed shoes they decided on wearing to the side.

Meanwhile Naress was staying under the clothes, not moving from her spot. She was intent on staying there... until she noticed the three closing in on her. Growls arose from the pile at their cunning faces.  
"No!"  
"Yes!" and then the jumped her. Everything became a blur but then there she was, standing in clothes. Apparently she was in a vest of sorts, baggy though short with a turned-up collar. Underneath was a long-sleeved fuzzy tight shirt. Baggy roped jean-like material went slight past her first knee on both legs, then raid ropes on her ankles. Naress snorted, stopping slightly.

"It looks prefect!" squealed Jesla, "Too bad your species doesn't have breast or it'd be stunning."  
"Hey, got a long necklace, Naress?" Questions Hunter, humming.  
"I do..."  
"Wear it. I think we're done here! Let's hit the rooms." The male clapped and Naress shook out of the clothes, yanking her blues on before balling up the party wear and throwing it at Kiara. The human expected it and caught it, packing it into her backpack she had brought down.  
"Let's get the fuck out of here." The angry female alien grumbled, throwing open the door... and effectively knocking whoever was on the other side across the face. The person, a male, was slammed into the wall and teetered around, eyes spinning as Naress stared in perplexion.

"Nice shot..." The Sangheili looked up before jerking back into the room as Ubevin stepped in, rubbing his face and balancing his partner until Hale could flop into clothes. The other humans stared.  
"What are you doing here?!" asked Jesla, confused on why higher ups would need to get clothes when they could have already taken them in earlier years.  
"For the same reason you are, obviously..."  
"S-Sorry about that," apologized Naress, pacing in spot. She seemed eager to run away and escape the awkward. Ubevin shook his head.  
"S'alright, he needed it. He'll be laying down for a while, at least, maybe give me enough time to get out of here.  
"Nnnnot or yer lliiffee... grug..." Hale pointed at Ubevin, making the Sangheili groan and sit by his partner, glaring. Jesla giggled.  
"Weeeelllll we need to be going, don't want to spoil any outfits...Ta-ta~!"

Jesla grabbed her partner and Kiara's hand, darting for the door and dragging them out. Naress was temporally left in the dust before her head swiveled back at forth.  
"Ohokay! B-Bye Ubevin!"  
"See ya, Naress." He nodded as the opposite gender darted up the stairs after her friend, smirking slightly. Maybe going to that party would be worth it.

:::

Neither Kiara nor Naress had been to such a spectacular place. It was a large mansion-like club, once belonging to a person that was killed in the great wars. Turned out he was a traitor. Instead of destroying the place, his son turned it into a relaxation center for the Peace Core. It was open every free day, and once a month the night before.

The mansion was shaped like a U. There was many many rooms, almost 80% of them open to the PC. Out front were fountains, shrubs, statues, grasses, and even a pool. The big party was closest to the bottom of the U, with dancing and music. Inside the front-doors was a large over-looked 'living room'-ish setup. Many halls sprawled out from everywhere you looked in that room, and the roof was painted with scene of legendary battles. But for now, the scenery could exactly be taken in for its whole glamor, as the place was packed with people.

Naress stayed close to her teammate, the smell and noise and lights discombobulating. Kiara was extremely excited, bouncing as they made their way down the walkway. The mob of dancers of all species was a little relaxing at least. Hunter perked up, "I'll be right back, I see someone..."

"Hunter!" Jesla called as Hunter suddenly slipped away, pouting and shaking her head but turning to the girls, "Alright ladies, ready to thrash the house?"  
"Excuse me?" asked Naress, stunned at the idea.  
"It's an expression. Let's dance!" She grabbed the two's hands and dragged them in. It was instant ten degrees hotter in the mist of the crowd, making Naress pant at first. Her face twisted up when Jesla and Kiara stared dancing, standing awkwardly and watching. Hunter came back after a while, tailing a boy and a girl behind him, saying something the Sangheili didn't catch. Kiara's voice rung in her head.

"_Nervous?"  
"Very. How the hell do I dance?"  
"Okay, first, bounce a little in place... There! You got it. Now sway side to side and snap you hips slightly... Not to much...there! Now, watch me~"_ Kiara brought her hands up and swung her hips back and forth to the music, jumping around here and there or swinging her arms out. Naress watched.  
_"I...I don't think I'm ready for that."  
"That's fine, but when you hear a song you know and like feel free to roc_k out."

Naress nodded but froze as a familiar song started to play. The crowd cheered and her head started to bob the the music, tapping her hand on her thigh, shutting her eyes. He hand and body started to bob and Kiara grinned. _"You got it!"_ By the middle of the song, the Sangheili felt loose enough to let go, enjoying herself as Kiara and Jesla whooped.

She wasn't sure how many songs went by but exhaustion came like a brick and she groaned, rubbing her forehead, _"Hey, I'm going to head inside and find a refreshment."  
"Alright, I'll come find you after this song."_

Naress sighed and ambled through the crowd and indoors, breaking free of the mass. Locating a refreshment table, she guzzled a glass of juice and ambled into the building to look around. One of the large doorways lead into a big room with couches and tables. Exhausted dancers or higher-up uninterested in the craze lounged around, the loud music still heard but not as much. Glancing around the room; she spotted a few chicken-hawks, the Perv Patrol, civilians, respectables, and the common group of talkers.

Not recognizing anyone, she began to turn and leave before someone caught her arm. Naress blinked, turning back. The alcoholic breath of a male Sangheili was blown into her face, causing her to wince. Her eyes flicked to his shoulder where a shiny new sergeant badge gleamed.  
"Hey baby, wanna drink?" he stutter over his clicks, so she turned her head away to show she didn't with to speak with him.  
"No thanks."  
"Just ooonnee won't hurt a ddaaammmeeee." he grinned, squeezing her arm and brushing his hand on her back. Snorting, Naress stomped and shoved him back.  
"I said no."  
"But no means many different thiiiiings, baby." His hand sneaked back around, lower this time. Naress' head spun and she snarled, raising her open hand and smacking the male across the face loudly. A few groups stopped talking, including the PP's who looked over at the sound.  
"No. No means no and that's that," she stated clearly, wiping her hand on the jeans. The male stood up straight, growling.

"You lil bitch! I'll-" The male pulled his fist back, aiming to swing down but someone had already grabbed him from the side. In surprise, they both looked over. There stood Ubevin, lower jaws twitching in annoyance as he twisted the fit down. The Sergeant yelped, but didn't fight back, already noting his higher status.  
"I've noticed you have a fresh new Sergeant pin. Free drinks now, right? Got a little intoxicated, aye?"  
"What's it to yo-" Ubevin yanked the lower close to him by the arm, grabbing his elbow.  
"Nothing, really. I just suggest you leave the lady alone before either or or the Perv Patrol make you regret ever drinking."

Ubevin then let go of his arm and fist, bring up his leg and shoving the sergeant away by the hip. The drunkard stumbled back, glaring but leaving the room off to find someone else, probably. Naress glanced at the PP's, who where watching the exchange with smirks; one of them got up and followed the guy to make sure he didn't disturb anyone else. Ubevin reached out and grabbed her shoulder softly.

"Y'kay?"  
"Yep... Upset but I'm good." she smirked, "Nice job."  
"No problem. I know that guy... little-man syndrome but he's hella stupid when he's drunk. Say, wanna come sit with us?" She actually got to get a good look at him. He was in his blues but a bandana was around his neck, meaning he possibly was wearing something underneath... Naress smiled.  
"Sure."

The Sangheili smiled back and guided her over to a group of three couches. Five humans, three Sangheili, and a young Jiralhanae where sitting along the large couches, looking up. Hale was there too, a bruise on the side of his head.  
"Oh geeze," said Naress, bending down a little, "Damn, didn't know I swung the door open so fast."  
"Hehe, s'alright. I was actually just telling these guys that story." Hale grinned, picking up a whiskey and putting it to the spot before scooting over. Naress sat down, crossing her legs as Ubevin sat on the other side of her. She was introduced to the group, Ubevin was brought a shot from the PP's and Hale continued with his tale. Naress liked being quiet and calm, able to just listen now and enjoy the conversation.

"_Naress, did you find my brother and Ubevin?" _came Kiara's voice. Naress blinked slowly.  
_"Yes, why?"  
"Well you got annoyed for a while then really comfortable so I guessed that. Where you at?"_  
_"Lounge room, far left."_ Kiara and Jesla were there in seconds, the two crossing the room and coming over. Kiara leaned over the couch, leaning on Hale's head.

"Lemme guess...Kiki." he grinned, looking up.  
"Great job, bro." She laughed, leaning on the chair. "Ya'll should come dance."  
"I don't think the dance-floor can handle my swag,"grinned Hale, getting smacked on the nose and pulled from the chair.  
"Taking my brother for a while, guys! Naress, come on! And bring Ubevin!" The Sangheili poker-faced before grunting and getting up, looking over.  
"You, uh... wanna dance, I guess?"  
"Sure." Ubevin got up and followed after her into the crowd, he was quiet unti they were on the edge.

"Hey, I was thinking maybe you and Kiara wanna come hang out with Hale and I before we head out tomorrow? We might come back here or something."  
"Sure, that'd be nice. I'm pretty sure Kiki wants to hang out with her brother, too." Naress smiled, glancing back at him before turning forward to find her group again, not noticing him brush her arm faintly.

Or maybe she did, but didn't let him know.

* * *

_**What did you think? What's going to happen tomorrow? Please R&R!**_


	8. Heros

**Sorry for no chapter yesterday! I was out in the big city all day and was exhausted from 9+ hours of walking. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Naress had foggy memories of the night, probably because she just woke up. She was slouched in a corner, Kiara and Hale flopped together like children not to far away, Hunter missing and Jesla surprisingly curled in a ball covered by a blanket, snoring. Sprawled everywhere was sleeping or hungover people, slowly arousing. By the distant chimes of the clock, it was around 08:00.

Rising from the ground, the Sangheili stretched with a yawn and glanced around. She decided to scoot Jesla over by the other's before ambling around to look for anyone else she knew.  
"-damn turn out I ever seen." Came a thick accent pouring through a feminine voice. Naress paused, swinging her head around slowly until it stopped on two female Sangheili. The pair were leaning against the wall not to far away; Sergeant Grade 2 badges glistening in the sunlight on their strange dressage. They eyed her slowly as she walked by, seeming a bit prude.

Once out of sight, Naress shook her head and glanced around the quarters. Higher-ups were already stirring those asleep indoors, sending them back to base to clean up. Hugging her vest to herself, she tromped slowly through the bodies of sleepers. Silver specks caught her eye and she looked over to find Ubevin stirring Sergeants to send them home. Refraining a grin, she moved around a few over to him.

"Need help, Ubevin?"  
"Huh? Oh sure, just shake 'em up and send 'em home," he seemed distant, maybe too much to drink, but at the same time she felt light-headed too. "I'm surprised you're even walking."  
"What do you mean by that?" she laughed, starting to shake a higher-up.  
"First time Hale and I went to a party I couldn't even get off the ground because he's such a heavy sleeper. It should be affecting you. Kiara, I mean."  
"Well Kiara isn't a heavy sleeper, apparently... Or maybe she is and I'm still too sleepy to recognize it."  
"Maybe." Ubevin shrugged, shaking his head.

Time went by as they talked, walking up everyone from Recruits to Colonels. It was actually funny, sometimes, the reactions of some. Ubevin did unfortunately get punched in that face by a Unggoy once... or twice. They had just finished most of a lounge but Naress paused as she stared at the last sleeper. It was a male Sangheili, at least one and ¾ of her, meaning he was an older species. He wasn't wearing a familiar PC blue outfit; his was black. Going to his other side, she spotted one of his legs below the second knee was all mechanical... Glancing up, the Sangheili stumbled backwards in shock at the badge.

A Hero Badge.

"U-U-Ubevin! C'mere!" she whispered loudly, eyes almost falling out of her skull. Ubevin ambled over, blinking then jerking.  
"Xethus?!"  
"Who's that?"  
"A war veteran..."  
"Holy shit, I thought they were all back home..."  
"Not Xethus, he's too damn grumpy... Check out that scar on his head." Naress looked at what he was speaking of, and swallowed at the large gouge from his ear-hole to his jaws. The Sangheili was a dull gray color, patches here and there brighter then the others. He was laying on a couch that was leaning on the wall; chin resting on his chest and a empty bottle of human scotch in his left hand that dangled over the edge. In his other hand was apparently a tiny pendant that he clutched tightly.

"Are...we gonna wake him up?" she whispered, blinking slowly.  
"I'm not doing it. You do it."  
"Hell no, I'll be squashed! Be a man!"  
"This is the only time that I'll sacrifice being a man for the sake of keeping my manhood," he grumbled, making her roll her eyes.  
"Fine but if I get hurt your dead."  
"I don't think he'll hit a girl, but I'll be your back up just in case."

Naress shook her head before silently moving forward. If he was a jerky sleeper she might be slapped across the room, but if he was a calm sleeper it might turn out better. Swallowing loudly, she reached out and gently touched the Hero's shoulder.  
"...sir? Sir, are you awake?"

The Sangheili stirred before lifting it's head slowly. The eyes took a while but they opened lazily before the large Hero sneezed. A short scream of surprise came from Ubevin but her grabbed his own jaws to shut himself up as the hero stared at him with an almost exact expression of unamusement the younger had held less then 12 hours earlier. Naress was just trying to compress a laugh.

"...For a second I was sure you were a women from that scream, Ubevin." Xethus grunted but a tiny hint of a smirk played on jaws that the young female noticed. Ubevin grumbled.  
"Maybe if you didn't sneeze like an angry predator EVERY. DAMN. TIME." Ubevin growled lowly as the Hero arose, shaking himself off, "Who are you here with?"  
"Just myself tonight; your father returns tomorrow."  
"Fantastic. Thank the oracle I'm leaving tonight," he grunted. Naress cocked her head to the side, blinking.  
"You...don't like your father?"  
"As much as I like a 'cheese grater' rubbed down my back," the young male grunted, ducking out of a suddenly head ruffle from Xethus.  
"Your father might be a jack-ass, I agree, but he does care for you."

Ubevin shook his head, grunting. Naress could see the snarl on his face and hear him clicking insults quietly. Xethus ignored him, turning to her.  
"So, who might you be, small one?"  
"Um... Naress, sir..."  
"Naress? That's a Kig-Yar name... 'Nameless'?" Xethus brow rose and he bent down a little, interested.  
"Oh... Yeah... I was kinda...orphaned during the end of the war. I'm not sure what happened but I ended up on the streets then under apprenticeship of a Kig-Yar named Jui'nemar."  
"Jui'nemar?! That old geezer's still around?!" Xethus' whole tone and demeter changed as he laughed, sitting back on the couch, "I remember when he was my age training me and Ubevin's uncle... I'm surprised you survived, Kalenous didn't."  
"Kathenous?"  
"My father." Grunted Ubevin quietly, shaking his head. Naress blinked at him but slowly understood why his uncle would have trained him.  
"So is he still training?"  
"Unfortunately not, I was his last apprentice... He gave me his last sword from the war in hopes I'd use it and maybe train others after I finished my quest in the Peace Core."  
"Well I'll be damned. The three of us will have to go down there one day and 'kindly' harass him, hehe."  
"Well he did have plans to come up and visit sometime, he joked maybe around the first time I was injured so he could scold me." Naress smirked, getting a chuckle out of Xethus again. She enjoyed his chuckle, it was like a low purr with clicks.

"I like this kid, Ubevin. Where'd you find her at?" Xethus asked Ubevin, who grunted and leaned against the wall.  
"Funny story, Hale has a little sister. She joined the core last week; she and Naress got matched up. Then his sister shoved their bums into our table and we've been friends ever since." Naress lifted her head a little. She had never heard him classify her as a friend... A small wave of glee spread through her, but she resisted showing emotion again. Then, a tiny voice whispered in her head.

"_You're with Ubevin, huh?"_ The Sangheili groaned loudly, getting the boys' attention.  
"Kiara's up.

"_And Hale's about to be too~" _Ubevin grunted at her, turning to speak but yelped loudly, jerking in the air before grabbing his crotch and bending over, groaning. Around the same time he had screamed a feminine yelp had come from outside. Naress could only guess what happened as she quickly balanced her friend.  
"Are you okay?!" she asked, worried but was inwardly annoyed. _"Kiara I'm kicking your ass when I find you because that was mean as hell."  
"I know. But it was worth it. You should see Hale writhing in pain after he squeezed by butt on his sleep."_  
_"EW. OKAY. T.M.I. SEE YA."_

"W-Was that K-K-Kiara t-t-too?" He whimpered, on his knees and head to the ground, taking deep breathes. Xethus only laughed at the situation.  
"And this is why I'm glad we didn't have to get Linked in the old days~"  
"S-Shut up."

:::

The rest of the day was a rather calm and friendly one. The group of six then five when Jesla found Hunter decided to amble around the mansion then the PC base. Both places were huge and took several hours to explore the available areas. It was dinner time at the base by the time they had 'finished'. This actually meant fed up with Xethus, higher-ups yelling or playing pranks on them, or an occasion pervert moment being met with an elbow, fist, or gun to the face.

The youngsters, with their food in tow, plopped heavily into their table. Xethus, unfortunately for Ubevin, joined them.  
"That was an interesting way to spend the day."  
"Works for me," yawned Kiara, munching on her mystery burrito. Hale gave a thumbs up but froze, staring at the door.

"Ubevin," The Sangheili was too busy eating. "Ubevin. Ubevin!"  
"Hmm?"  
"Rattling handle."

Naress had never seen a Sangheili move so fast expect when using Evade. Ubevin head spun, looking at the entrance.  
"Fuck." He whispered, his voice angry but laced with another emotion. What was it? ...was it fear? "I gotta go. Find ya'll later." He stood, not even grabbing any of his things or food and darted to the opposite doorway, disappearing. Hale watched him go, not even phased but looking a little angry and guardian like. Kiara and her partner looked between each other.  
"What was-"  
"Shh." Hale hissed, glaring. "Not a word, any of you. I mean it. Let me speak."  
"What the hell do you-"

Then it happened. Right next to Naress, a giant form sat down by her which she almost mistook for a hunter. But it didn't smell like or sound like it. A wave of 'uncomfortable' went through her body and then to Kiara's as she slowly looked up. Sitting by her was another large Sangheili; a dark brown with tiny black flecks. One of it's jaws were missing and the amount of scars it had was heavily unnerving. Even Xethus' demeter changed.

"Evening," came a hoarse voice from the throat of the monster. His eyes drifted around the table, landing on Hale, "Where my kid at?"  
"He's busy. Got a lot of things to do before we leave on our mission tomorrow."  
"Busy enough not to see his-"  
"Yes."

The Sangheili and Hale glared down for a fraction of a second before the bigger scoffed and looked at Xethus. "Kids these days."  
"What are you doing here, Kathenuos?"  
"I got dropped in early, the ship was faster then I thought."  
"Well that's a first." The two laughed slightly, Kathenuos noticing the two next to him.  
"New faces, aye?"  
"Recruits. Pretty new..." Xethus started getting serious, sitting up straight and narrowing his eyes as the other hero eyed the girls down. Both were unamused, not reacting. Then Naress' food tray was scooted over and the male Sangheili sat way too close, leaning his elbow on the table and head on his fist.

"Well, I'm guessing you're a friend of Ubevin?" he rumbled. Naress made the mistake of grabbing the silverware she was holding too hard and bending it in half, heavily annoyed by the chickenhawk sitting next to her.  
"...Somewhat."  
"Oh really?"  
"Mmm..." she took a bit of her burrito, looking over at Hale and Kiara for help. _"Kiara can we leave?"_  
_"Just thinking about it. And I'm sure it wasn't only you." _The human girl got up, grunting. "Alright, excuse me boys but we have some homework to do."  
"Oh yeah!" the female Sangheili tried to sound surprised but a little sarcasm was laced within the word as she got up faster then usual. "Good talking to you. Xethus. Hale."  
"Actually, I need to help get shit done. I'll come with," came Hale's voice as he stood. Naress noticed his spoon had been bent and twisted into a circle as the three walked away.

Once out of sight and hearing, Naress shuttered, "What the hell was up with that guy?"

"He gave me the willies..." came Kiara, rubbing her arm.  
"Ignore him if you can, and I mean it. Never get left alone with him, either. He's a pervert." Hale was growling out his words, almost sounding like Ubevin. Naress glanced over.  
"You guys leaving tomorrow, right?"  
"Yeah..." Hale drooped, looking at the two, "We really wanted to hang out with you guys more too... You better be Sergeants before we get back."  
"If we get missions," Kiara laughed before hugging her brother. "Bye Hal-ee... Hug grumpy butt for me too, okay?"  
"Ha! I will, don't you worry about it. Bye Kiki..." he laughed, hugging her back. Naress smiled sadly, waiting for the two to finish before bending down and gently 'nosed' his forehead... Basically touched her end of her snout to his head, which was absolutely freezing. "...what was that?"  
"A goodbye. We don't really, um...hug like you do..."  
"...do you want me to pass that on to Ubevin?" he asked slowly, causing her to smile.  
"If you wish, but use your nose unless you want to get punched in the mouth."

"Understood."

Hale waved before jogging off; the girls laughing as he almost tripped over an Unggoy before heading down their hallway. Kiara was grinning her ass off, looking up at Naress. The teammate only smiled back, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Literally.

* * *

_**Annndddd Ubevin/Hale will be out of the story for a few chapters! Please R&R!**_


	9. Privates,,, Not That Type!

**You know the drill XD**

* * *

It had been three weeks since the party and the boys had left. Naress hovered her face over the sink, shaking it dry and standing upright with a stretch. She could hear Kiara messing with the violin she had snuck into the base, playing some outlandish crazy tune.

"Why did you never tell me you could play a violin?"  
"Pft. You can't tell a person, you gotta show them. Aye?"  
"Aye." Naress smiled as she pulled her coat from her closest, dusting off it's fresh Private badge. Four weeks of training, lessons, assignments, extra credit, and a few pulling tails had finally earned them the badges at least a week ahead of the rest of the class. Jesla and Hunter, of course, had enough points for them to get theirs a day earlier but waited so the four could be presented their badges the same day.

Today, they were being sent out on their first mission with the big dogs. The same planet the boys where on, Kinkin, still needed help in villages. They wouldn't be anywhere near them but at least it would stack up their credits big time. The two young teams, Pathfinders & Glamfabuluos, would be led by two older teams called No Mercy & Champagne. Naress had recognized Champagne from the morning after the party, and for some reason didn't like them at all. Glamfabuluos, on the other hand, loved both teams and literally couldn't wait to get out there.

The speaker near the projector wall made a pinging, causing Kiara to launch from her seat and slam down on the remote. A fuzzy image projected which slowly became clear to show Hale on the other side. **(Note: Yes I know I said we wouldn't see them in a while but I meant see them 'in the flesh' xD**).  
"Hheeeyyyy Haalllleee!" called Kiara, waving her violin around. She was seated in her cargo bottoms and the half-buttoned white dress shirt that went under her jacket, feet on the table. Naress was in the kitchen behind her, wearing only the cargo jeans as it didn't matter if her upper chest showed. She didn't have the bags of flesh like humans did. Hale was looking tired.

"Hey ladies~" whistled Hale, getting an eye-roll, "What are you two up to?"  
"Getting ready for the day~ You?"  
"Getting ready to crash. Ubevin just got out of the shower," the camera paned off his face over to a doorway where the Sanghelii was just exited, a towel around his waist. Naress' eyebrows rose in humor as the male took a moment to realize what was going on before throwing up his middle finger at his comrade and stalking out of view. Hale laughed as the camera panned back to his face, "Sexy, ain't he?"  
"I agree~ Where'd you pick him up at?" said Kiara, nibbling her nails jokingly.  
"Oh you know, the places. He's goanna be on top tonight~" Hale panned the camera slightly so the girls could see they were in a bunk bed and Hale was laying on the bottom bed. Naress started snickering from the kitchen which busted into full blow laughter as a boot flew past Hale's head. "Woah, fiesty!"  
"Next time, the boot's going up your ass. And I'll feel sorry for the boot." Ubevin growled, walking into view and climbing onto the upper bunk. Hale grinned, mouthing words Naress didn't catch.

"So guess what, Hal-ee?"  
"What?"  
"We got our Pprriiivvattteee Baaddgeessss~" she lifted her coat so he could see and Hale leaned in very close before grinning.  
"Aye! You did! About time!  
"They what now?" came Ubevin's voice, peeking over the bed, "Oh, new badges. Good job, girls."  
"Thank yooouu~" Chimed the two simultaneously, giggling but lifted their heads when the overhead first bell went off.

"Time to go bye-bye?"  
"Yessir," sighed Kiara, throwing on her jacket while Naress pulled her white shirt from the dyer and put in on, sighing at the warmth.  
"Alright, well we gotta crash anyhow. Have a good-day girls!"  
"Sleep well, guys!" called Naress as Kiara waved goodbye and turned off the projector, grabbing her bag and hiking it up.

"Ready, Naress?" she asked as the Sangheili pulled on her jacket, fixing the buttons and cuffs before nodding. Picking up her own bag, the two left the room and headed for the helicopter pad. Jesla and Hunter met them on the way; it wasn't long before the excited group of four were outside, meeting up with the highers to wait for the chopper.  
"Alright pipsqueaks, hope you have all your shit." The bigger dark brown female Sangheili spoke suddenly, causing Naress to tense up. Out of all the four adults, she didn't like this woman at all, but she was absolutely clueless on why.  
"We have it, don't worry about that," smiled Hunter, obviously annoyed. The Mgalekgolo and Kig-Yar, aka No Mercy, chuckled at the rest of the group before halting and waiting near the edge of the pad as a distant whirring was heard.

"Alright, before we go, Name and rank again," the dark brown female grunted, "Sertagia; Second Grade Sergeant."  
"Jaquelle; Second Grade Sergeant." The black Sangheili with brown spots nodded  
"Gigero; Second Grade Sergeant," the oddly small light brown Kig-Yar yawned, rolling his eyes. His partner seemed just as enthusiastic.  
" Lio; Second Grade Sergeant."  
"Jesla; Private."  
"Hunter; Private."  
"Kiara; Private."  
"Naress; Private..."  
"Naress?" asked Sertagia, her voice sounding snobby, "Isn't that Kig-Yar?"  
"You have a problem with Kig-Yar?" Gigero snapped, glaring at the bigger species who merely huffed at him. Naress felt annoyance flicker through her at the other of her kind, almost ready to growl.  
"I was merely asking... So is it?"  
"'tis."  
"I see...Do you prefer that name or being called "Nogoto'?"

Naress shot upright, glaring in anger at the older. 'Nogoto', meaning 'nameless brat' was second to the insult 'Nogogo' meaning 'nameless bitch'. Her lips curled back and she rose to her full height to almost match theirs.  
"Excuse me?!"  
"Isn't it close to the same meaning as Naress?"  
"It most certainly is not!" scoffed the younger female, ready to step forward and knock some sense into the woman but Kiara mentally stopped her. The Kig-Yar looked just as annoyed.  
"If anything, the closest to Naress would be 'Nono'."  
"Ooooooohhhh, that's right." Naress felt the sarcasm seeping from the older's voice and had to look away, counting silently. Both Hunter and Jesla had the 'you're a bitch' face pointed at Sertagia while Kiara was gripping her bag tightly, displaying no anger physically.

The helicopters landed and the eight climbed aboard before being flown away toward the space station. Kiara and Naress sat in the helicopter, thankfully, with Gigero and Lio. She paid no attention to anything, glaring out the ground below.  
"Hey Naress," she lifted her head at Gigero spoke, looking at him, "Don't listen to either of those girls. They're top class bitches who kissed asses to get here at PC then did it again to get up the ranks. They'll leave you alone if you don't react."  
"...thanks..." she sighed, looking away again. The Sangheili never dealt with this type of thing too well, never being trained for it.

"_Nar?"  
"Yeah?"  
"...how did you get your name?" _ The partner's looked over at each other before Naress sighed, shutting her eyes and remembering the moment, sharing it with her partner...

:::

_The streets are not kind at night; this the young Sangheili knew as she pinned herself into a box. She was barely the size of a human's pet "cat", her front legs bigger and longer to make four leg mobility easy, sniffling as outside began to pour.  
A growl vibrated her box, making the kit squeak and exit in a hurry to be greeted on the other side by a Noinoi. A Noinoi is basically the Sanghelious version of a street dog but with no fur, four jaws, and a long spiked tail. It barked loudly, causing her to squeal and run for the open side of the alley, but the Noinoi was quicker. Grabbed her by her back with its' sharp fangs, the kit screamed while being shaken around, purple blood squirting from the puncher wounds. She screamed and screamed, trying to bite back with her toothless fangs but the beast ignored her. When the world was getting darker then the alleyway's dim lighting, the Noinoi lay down and put her between it's paws tightly, picking up one of her legs in his mouth. He would have probably ripped it loose had not a heavy foot collided with his face. _

_The animal screamed like a pig, letting go of his prey and turning with fang out. A blue glow enveloped the alley, along with the sickening sound of bones cracking and blood spilling when an energy sword was driven straight through the Noinoi's skull, punctured in the eyes and penetrating the throat. The wielder waited 'till the animal was done twitching before turning the sword off, putting the handle away and looking for the tiny 'prey'. The kit had not gone far, still bleeding from the back but had managed to get out of the rain and behind a trash lid. Yellow eyes peeked around, causing her to hiss._

"_Well well, you're still alive, chik-a-dee~" Laughed a gruff voice as the lid was removed and the kit picked up by boney hands. She screeched loudly, gumming his finger but quieted down at the shushing and warmth coming from the Kig-Yar's core. Instinctively, she clung like a bat to his clothes, crooing. The yellow eyes softened. "Where are you parents, little one?"  
"_Rrrruugoo?_" she replied, looking up with amber orbs. The Kig-Yar frowned, brushing her back and pulling his hand away to look at the blood.  
"I see... Let's get you fixed up, little naress... Naress... yes... That's what I'll call you..." he smiled again while the kit's eyes began to close from exhaustion and the long-lost-now-found comfort. "...maybe it was a good thing to come back here today..." _

:::

Naress opened her eyes to look at her stunned teammate who slowly came back to life, looking back.  
_"...wow... I... all my years of living with my brother on the streets... I don't think anything that scary but bless-ed has ever happened..."  
"I was very blessed, yes... I believe I still have the scars on my back but... I don't bother to look." _The Sangheili smiled, looking out the helicopter as her ears began to pop. They were at the space station. Kiara reached under her, grabbing her stuff as the chopper landed then the four piled out when given clearance by the pilot.

The ship they were going to take was small but packed with supplies for helping destroyed villages rebuild. The eight fit easily in the seating area, the pilots of the vessel sitting in another zone. Stepping into armor built not for battle but for space travel, they seated and strapped themselves in before the ship began to rumble. Jesla anxiously looked over at her teammate and friends, who gave her the thumbs up to tell her everything was going to be cool.

It was the next second the four were sucked tightly into their seats when the ship took off like, well, a rocket. It broke the sound barrier and then shot itself out of the atmosphere where zero gravity kicked in. A few items here and there began drifting around the area but nothing deadly as they cruised for a few moments then were sucked into their seats again as the ship blasted forward. It took several minutes for the group to adjust before they were allowed to disengage from the seats and float around the area.

"Woooaaahhh..." Came Kiara's voice through the headset as she drifted up to the roof, gently bouncing off and heading towards the ground. Hunter and Jesla disengaged to drift around also but Naress decided to stay put. It was funny to watch them float around in zero gravity, bumping into everything until Jesla figured out how to work gravity boots and stuck herself to the roof. The other humans laughed at her as she slowly walked around the roof, wiggling her arms.

"Look ma, no hands!" she joked, turning off the gravity boots, "Look ma, nothing at all!" Hunter and Kiara laughed again at her stupidity before the pilot came back on, asking everyone to be seated for landing. The humans pouted but obeyed, strapping down. It was a minute before they slowly felt themselves sliding forward while the ship slowed gradually. It took longer to slow but they could feel gravity beginning to kick in when they landed. Disengaging the outfits but snapping on air masks, the eight stumbled out of the ship to find themselves lighter then usual.

"Well this is going to take time to get use too," huffed Naress, watching her teammate accidentally propel herself into a tree, wincing. "A lot of time..."

* * *

_**I recently got a job(yay?)! Updates after Thursday might take longer now to come across so I'm sorry to disappoint if I'm not updating daily like I hoped.**_

_**Please R&R!**_


	10. Wait, what?

**Thanks for your patience and feedback! Enjoy another chapter and I'll alert you of my workdays ASAP!**

* * *

Naress' first mission was not going well. After a long few hours of adjusting to their environment they then had to carry everything to the closest village where she got stuck with a 'spear' in the upper thigh from a scared villager. Thankfully, a three-day peace talk had gone better and they were allowed to start to begin to help rebuild and set up beneficial things for the village.

Right now they were working on solar panels, since it was only around noon. The rest of the base back at the PC would be going to sleep while the boys themselves would be waking up. Kiara was limping slightly due to the mutual pain she could feel from her teammates actually damaged leg as they helped secure the stands. Jesla and Hunter built the panel frames; Lio and Gigero lifted/set the solar panels while Sertagia and Jaquelle set up the wires to connect from the panels to the houses. Villagers were watching, learning, willing to help since they understood what power meant: Life.

The villagers were a strange breed. They were tan and short like humans but had tails longer then their bodies; claws instead of fingernails protruded from each of the seven fingers and sharp teeth. They did have snouts but they were short compared to the Sangheili; backs coated with a thick fur like a blanket. The planet itself was warm but she guessed the fur was like a natural blanket... maybe the curled up when it was cold? One of the young ones hopped up the Kiara and offered her some water. Her teammate kindly shook her head, patting the child. "It is alright, I have water. You drink instead"

The child nodded slowly, slightly understanding before it left. Kiara smiled, standing up.  
_"You like children, don't you?"  
"Yes... The very little ones not as much, but those who can understand and want to learn are my favorite."  
"I see..."  
"Do you like children?"  
"Meh, I tolerate them."_ she smiled, getting her partner to snigger as they finished another stand. Jaquelle started to make her way over, causing the smaller Sangheili to tense up.

"Hey Kiara, can you help Hunter and Jesla with the frames? I think we have enough stands."  
"M'kay" Kiara nodded, heading off with her partner following but the older viced Naress' arm.  
"You stay here, Naress." The older blinked slowly, causing the smaller to narrow her eyes and turn back to her work. "I do want to apologize about this morning. The Sangheili language is unfortunately not my first..."  
"Mmmm, well don't sweat it but I highly suggest you learn it better before someone clips your head off your shoulders."  
"I've been trying... Mgalekgolo is my first language, actually."

Naress kept herself from scoffing, knowing there was no way in the halos her first language was Mgalekgolo. Her accent was way too smooth. But, she played along, nodding. The older hung back for a moment before speaking again.  
"So... Kiara... she's Hale's sister?"  
"Yeah. She wasn't old enough to join until recently."  
"And you two got paired up?"  
"I guess. We have a few things in common but it will take time before we both see everything," Naress said quietly, attaching the top part of the stand and standing up, checking sturdiness.  
"I understand. Alright, thanks. Good luck with those frames."

As the older Sangheili left, the younger watched before sighing and shaking her head. Starting when her leg was touched, she looked down to see the little child again. She could tell it was a girl by the slightly wider hips and flowers in her fur, despite how young she was.  
"Um...hello?" she said quietly, bending down. The child was holding something in her tiny hands tightly, looking scared but strangely trustworthy. Then, like a cat, she lept to the adult's shoulders. Naress gasped, almost stumbling but remained calm as not to startle the child who was clinging on. Tiny clawed fingers pricked her rough hide but not enough to be a bother as the Sangheili stared at the tiny creature on her shoulders.

"...why me?" she asked quietly, only to receive a tiny kitten squeak in reply. Sighing, Naress headed off to find her partner as the long tail wrapped about her arm. Glamfabuluos and Kiara weren't all that far away, thankfully having their backs to her as she approached.  
"Hey Naress I have some- …." Jesla's eyes expanded to the size of saucers at the 'kit' riding her shoulder, grabbing her mouth and squealing into her hands. Kiara and Hunter looked over, both equally as stunned, Kiara 'aww'ed.

"Where'd you find her at?" cooed Hunter, wiggling his finger at the villager.  
"Ha. Very funny. She found me... more like it and decided I was her transportation for the day, I suppose..."  
"Sounds like 'parent adoption'..."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"Well on our planet we have a variety of species who will follow and 'adopt' other speices when they loose their parents," Jesla said quietly.  
"...I don't feel like I'm reacting correctly to such a bad situation. I can't adopt a kid!"  
"Don't worry, we'll find her a good place before we leave..." Naress wasn't listening to her teammate as she tried to pull the kit loose. The small species squealed loudly in worry, catching the attention of a few adults. They approached slowly, watching the Sangheili try to remove the kit.

"...You know, if you keep pulling she won't let go easily." Came a voice, causing them to pause and turn. One of the older of the species had risen up, already crossing over. The small kit meowed again, hopping to his arms.  
"Oh goodness, thank you..."  
"Do not thank me; the young ones just find everything fun to climb and hold onto. I wouldn't take anything to seriously. I am Bilho."  
"Bilho...greetings. I am Naress, and these are my part..ners..."

Naress stopped when she noticed her teammates had frozen in spot. There was no voices, no sound, no wind... Turning her head back to Bilho, she growled.  
"The halo did you just do?"  
"I just mentally quarantined us in a moment of time, but please, heed my priestess." The species backed away, releasing the kit who stood and flared wings out of her back. Naress stumbled backwards, startled. They were winged?

"In a week's time, every lifeforms must leave this planet, including the Peace Core. We cannot explain why but I have seen something coming. Please, leave this planet before we have to drive you off and blood is shed."  
"...What? How? I am a the lower chain of command here, I have no power."  
"You will see how. I sense Heros coming to this planet, they will listen to you if you told them a Priestess sent you."  
"By why did you tell me and not all my friends?"  
"Well you are the only one in the group who knows your own species language," The priestess smiled, making Naress blink. She hadn't even realized she's been talking in her native tongue. The priestess, or kit, dropped back to the ground and scuttled away, Naress watching her in confusion.

"Naress?" asked Kiara, noticing her teammate finally.  
"Huh? What?"  
"Where'd you come from?"  
"What do you mean I've been standing here..." She looked around, realizing Bilho was gone too. Odd. "...wow, sorry, I drifted off."  
"Hey Naress, I'm glad you're here. You need to know something," Jesla said, turning around and looking grim, "Jaquelle's after you man."  
"...excuse me?" That wasn't a term she was familiar with and totally took her off guard after the whole 'priestess' thing. She picked up a piece of the framing to help the humans.  
"She's after Ubevin. They were talking about him in the helicopter and saying how they-"

A loud metal screeching noise filled the air, causing the humans to flinch. Naress stared blankly ahead before looking down to see the piece of frame she was holding had been crushed under her hands. Jesla swallowed.  
"...you probably needed that piece..."  
"Wait, what were they saying?" Kiara looked angry, crossing her arms, obviously being the vent for Naress silent anger explosion. In reality, Naress was rather confused why she reacted like that.  
"They were saying how Hale is your brother and maybe if they made friends with you two they could get closer to Ubevin, then something about 'rank supremacy'." Hunter scoffed, blinking as a grinding noise came from Kiara's mouth. Naress could feel more anger radiating of her partner then herself.  
"Easy Kiara, easy. Ubevin and I are just friends, anyhow..."  
"'Just friends?!' When the hell did this happen?" she burst out, glaring.  
"When you were asleep and the two of us were waking up sleepers and Xethus. He told Xethus we were just friends so I'm not even going to stress about this."

The group was silent before Kiara kicked the dust, huffing.  
"Naress, it's obvious he likes you." said Hunter quietly but only got a shrug.  
"To humans, love is much more simpler then the complex Sangheili love. Kiara, remember what I told you about the day we were fighting?"  
"...Yeah... Both sides had to pick... but mostly the males because they gave birth..." A loud scrabbling noise was heard from Jesla; she seemed flabbergasted  
"Exactly. If Ubevin says we are just friends, that is how it shall go. And don't you dare go pressuring your brother into asking him about it," she glared slightly at her partner, having read her thoughts. Kiara glared back.  
"...fine."  
"Wait... doesn't the females of your species do the 'chasing' then?" Jesla asked, getting a look she didn't recognize.  
"...yes...but I am a lower rank then him, it is against the rules in the Peace Core for a much lower class-men to make a move on a higher class-men. This doesn't goes for Jaquelle though, she's right below him.."  
"But are there rules about the upper class doing the opposite?"  
"No, not really, except on recruits..." Naress smiled again, "I appreciate you all looking for way around but we are friends. Nothing more, nothing less. And I will be happy with it."

But the four all knew she was lying to herself, it didn't even need a bond to see she was distressed by Jaquelle's verbal speech of advancements and the apparent boundary of the 'friend-zone'. The distant whir f a ship caught their attention and they looked over to see a space craft touching down.  
"...the hero's are here." Naress sighed, dropping the metal and letting a few drops of blood fall to the dusty ground below.

* * *

_**Please R&R!**_


	11. Communication

**Hi guys! So, I work 8-10 hours (a day) today (Friday) and tomorrow for this week, so I apologize if there's no new chapter Saturday. I'll know soon what days I work next week very soon, thank you for your patience! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Blood..._

_Just one drop of it was all we needed..._

_And you gave it to us... you gave us life..._

_Mother... We feel the pain the worlds have brought you... We have felt it ever since that first drop you gave us so long ago..._

_When can we see you, mother? When can we be with you? We sense you near but you do not sense us..._

_Is it not time? Time to make the worlds suffer below us for the pain you have been through?_

_...No, we see it now... You are distracted..._

_They can join us, mother. We will make them join us to see you happy._

_We will do anything to see you happy._

_:::_

Naress stared down at her wrapped hand as she ate he food, ignoring the chatter of the humans and higher-ups. She was still thinking of what the priestess had said... Why her though? Why couldn't she speak out-load and then the Sangheili could translate it? The low rumble of the three Heros in the table near her made her glance up. They had come because apparently there was an over-population of a predator species, but she couldn't help feel they had just come for a holiday.

Xethus glanced over at her and she looked down, not wanting to be confronted right now. Meanwhile, something was slid over to her, causing her to glance up.  
"...what are these?"  
"Communicators, we forgot to hand them out earlier," came Gigero's voice, grunting. "They contact anyone you want from the higher ups to the lowers who have these. Add who you want but let it be known you're already on the database as soon as you put in your ID."  
Naress looked at it and sighed, putting in her ID before strapping it around her wrist under her sleeve. It was only a few minutes before it buzzed. Puzzled, she checked it.

_**Hey sexxi! ;P -WO Ubevin**_

"_...what the fuck." _she thought loudly so Kiara would look over and see it before the wrist band vibrated again.

_**Please excuse that last message, Hale took my Communicator. -n-" -WO Ubevin **_

"_That's bee-s"_ Kiara scoffed but was grinning wide enough for Naress to be uncomfortable.  
_"Why?  
"Hale doesn't use emoticons."  
"...well what if Hale faked it? Used emoticons to play a trick."  
"Not so fast girl, don't loose your hopes. Lemme see that-"_

Her teammate snatched her communicator away, starting to type a message back to Ubevin. Peeping of the human's shoulder, Naress warily read it.  
_**Aww, that's too bad because that was an excellent comment coming from a hot bastard like you~ -P Naress**_

"kIARA-!" Naress snapped at her communicator only to fail, stretching furiously while the human grinned wider and kept typing.

_**By the way, we need to battle soon. REALLY soon, I'm itching in boredom. -P Naress**_

"KIARA GIVE THAT BACK!" Naress roared, lashing out for it but the human was quick; sliding under the table and skittering out on the other side between Jesla and Hunter. The two humans looked in amazement before 'ooo'ing at the conversation. The Sangheili glared in anger and shame. _"Unbelievable." _

It was several minutes before they exploded in laughter and she was given her communicator back which she snatched away and read the unbelievable conversation.

_**I see... Yes I do agree we need to battle soon, too bad you aren't down here. You'd love the gravity on this planet (not rlly). -WO Ubevin**_

_**I bet. We're actually on a mission right now. -P Naress**_

_**:O Really? Where?- WO Ubevin**_

_**Same planet you are ewe – P Naress**_

… _**Okay, lame joke KIARA. Give the communicator back to Naress please. That was a hideous comment by the way and very much unlike her speech. Try harder if you wish to 'hook up' your friend, as Hale calls it. - WO Ubevin**_

_**Well you got the writer right but we are on your planet. Hale totally ships you two, BTW.- P Naress**_

_**I believe it when I see it. And I do not understand the 'ship' term but when the shipment come you better explain -WO Ubevin**_

Naress snorted before tying unhappily. The Sergeant girls leaned over to look; huffing when the younger leaned away.

_**Sorry about them, she saw the message from Hale and stole it away from me – P Naress**_

_**It's fine, I knew it was her anyhow. So what's going on? – WO Ubevin**_

_**We got our first mission on your planet in a sector about 3 hours ahead of you. Recently I've been setting up solar panels, been annoyed by two 'high and mighty' bitches, and getting weird speeches from the locals. By the way, your dad is here. BC – P Naress**_

_**I'm sorry to here. Wait, dad? 8U Keep away from him, whatever you do. My father is a dangerous man and might hurt you. If you truly are on a mission, make sure to stay as far away as possible. I need to go, breakfast ended. - WO Ubevin**_

_**Okay, I will. Bye Ubevin! :3 -P Naress**_

_**TTYL :D – WO Ubevin**_

Naress sighed, shaking her head while sticking her communicator out of sight and reach from everyone else.

"New idea : We should be allowed to break hands when people touch our shit."  
"...naaahhhh" The entire group rumbled out. Reaction : the Sangehili staring in disbelief. Again.  
"I don't understand any of you."  
"Well lets face it. All our hands would be broken in the first day," Lio chuckled, getting a grunt of agreement from his teammate. Kiara smiled coyly, getting a glare.

"Whatever whimps." she grunted, getting up and moving away when she noticed Xethus was missing from the other table. It didn't take her more then a few minutes to find the monster-sized Sangheili, who was being a silent sentential on a rock. "Hey..."  
"Greetings, Nameless."  
"Naress."  
"Very well."  
"Can I talk to you?" she asked nervously, getting a silent glance  
"If you wish. Is it about Ubevin?"  
"No." she said rather quickly, getting another glance. "...Not really, maybe after the other issue is address."  
"That is fine. What is the other issue?"  
"Well... The village's priestess, she approached me... More like froze me in time and told me we all needed to leave the planet because 'something bad was going to happen in a week'. She said to talk to you, hell she knew you guys were coming."  
"...What was her name?"  
"Hell I dunno. She didn't tell me."  
"Hmm...It is very rare for a priestess to expose themselves anymore for fear because of the 'Covenant' situation. I would heed her."  
"But how the heck do I clear everyone off a planet?"  
"You stage an incident."  
"...Excuse me?"  
"Fake evidence that something is wrong with the planet or tell your subordinates the villagers don't' want us here. That type of things."  
"Can't you do that?"  
"I could..."  
"Could you, please?" Naress looked up at him with big eyes, pulling a human 'Bambi' card. The Hero glanced down again before smiling and ruffling her flat head.

"I will, child, ONLY if you tell me what is bothering you. I can see it, you have been troubled since I met you."  
"Well... not really, I was only nervous about you. But Ubevin...why is he so afraid of his father?" The giants eyes darkened in sadness as he looked away.  
"That is something Ubevin himself will have to tell you... But what else? That is not all, I'm sure."  
"...well...you know... Jaquelle, right? Jelsa told me she was 'going after Ubevin' and I kinda... bent a pole." Naress ducked in embarrassment, getting a snicker before she continued. "But we're just friends, he said it himself! I really don't know why I acted that way and now stupid Kiara is sending him love messages through my pager."  
"'Tis only the nature of the Sangheili. You may tell yourself you are only friends but sometimes your actions speak louder when you don't want them too. My wife..." Xethus eyes saddened as he stared off into nowhere, "My wife and I were friends for five years before we started showing 'interest'... but she'd break some skulls if she heard a single bad word about me. The same was for me if I heard one about her. Ubevin is only shy and probably worried about the Peace Core rules; personally no one follows those rules anymore BUT he did defend you against that drunk. So just be yourself and see how it turns out. "  
"...okay...thank you, Xethus."  
"You are welcome, Naress... No offense, but you need a nickname."  
"Nickname?"  
"Yeah. I was X, Kanthenuos was Limb Barrel, Ubevin was 'Speckles' when he was younge-"

Naress laughed out loud, interrupting "Speckles?!Are you kidding me?!"  
"Not at all; his silver dots were the source. Call him it one day, 'I deer yah'."  
"Oh my oracle..." she chuckled, looking down and shaking her head before getting up. "I need to go work. I'll see you later, okay?"  
"Very well. I will try the evacuation techniques I have tonight."  
"Good luck." With that, the smaller Sangheili jumped down and headed away to take care of the rest of the daily work. Xethus watched her go.  
"No, _good luck to you_, young one."

* * *

_**Please R&R and tell your friends!**_


	12. Invasion

_**Hi guys! I work next weekend, so here's the next chapter!  
**_

* * *

"...what the fUCK HAPPENED?!" Naress was jerked out of her sleep to realize... all their stuff was gone. Their tent, gear, food, everything but the beds they had been sleeping on. And they where in the middle of the desert. Jaquelle stared at the dirt around them, on her feet in shock. They did though, have their uniforms folded neatly on their bed.

Kiara and Naress slowly arose from their beds, looking around in confusion and slight chaos. A distant rumble sounded : Someone was coming. Automatically, the group scrambled and it was Jelsa who yanked several defensive weapons from under her bed, tossing it to the others who were acceptable. Naress snatched her own energy sword from her pillow case, sticking it to her belt as she was only wearing pants and grabbed a long-distance rifle, kneeling down to look through the sights. Gigero and Lio grabbed heavy weaponry and set up while Glamfabuluos grabbed some grenades. Meanwhile Champagne looked thought long-distance scopes.

"...Stand down! It's PC personal." The group relaxed, returning the weapons to at ease before yanking on the rest of their uniforms. PC units arrived in a Falcon, and surprisingly it was-  
"Hale? Ubevin?" Kiara asked loudly, stunned. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
"We where gonna ask you the same thing. Apparently all the PC teams ended up 10 miles exactly from the main base last night : all the gear is already at base. What the hell happened?"

A snicker was heard from Naress, and when both the humans looked she was gesturing to the giant Sangheili who had casually decided to lean against the chopper and panic the pilot. Hale groaned. "I should have known..."  
Ubevin was snickering until another Sangheili literally stepped out of nowhere and put his hands on the smaller's shoulders. He and his partners tensed, making Naress reach down for her sword.

"There you are, kiddo. Been looking for you for a while..." he rubbed Ubevin's shoulder who shied out from under his hands... and stood over by Naress. The Private could feel the glares of 'Champagne' boring into her back.  
"Yeah, sorry about that but work's being pretty hectic," he grunted, not caring as the Private took a single step in front of him. She was seriously not liking the vibes of Kathenuos. Hale and Kiara could care less, as did Jesla and Hunter but the other two group were giving of different body languages. No Mercy was obviously edgy about this stand-off while Champange was pissed off.  
"Mmm...we need to talk later. Right now we have another problem on our hands." The two Hero suddenly disappeared again, using active camouflage,only seen by the large footprints in the sand leading away.

Hale glared after before turning back, "Alright, all of yah into the choppers after ya get your weapons, we're reporting back to the main base on this planet."  
The group grunted and followed after, Naress stumbling after Sertagia shoulder her. Ubevin grabbed her arm before she fell over, clicking something quietly before they boarded the Falcon. Another one was touching down as they took off to pick up Glamfabuluos and No Mercy.

Naress sat across from Jaquelle, who was still glaring at her, before finally glaring back; ripping off her headset off so the boys up front couldn't here.  
"What's your problem?!" she hissed loudly in Sanghelios, getting a growl back .  
"You're getting a little friendly with Ubevin. It's against the rule."  
"Ubevin in my partner's brother linked! Of course I'm going to be friendly to him because he IS my friend!" Naress wanted to get up and slap some sense into the other female but luckily the Falcon's restraints were holding her in.  
"Yeah, totally. Why don't you just keep your little whore lips away from him, he doesn't need to be hurt again!"

The younger Sanheili paused, the word 'again' reverberating in her head. _What the hell did that mean?_ She was about to open her mouth and ask when a loud explosion came to their right. Literally.

_**BOOOOOOOOMMMMM.**_

She felt searing heat up her side, realizing it wasn't her skin burning but Kiara's as the human yelped, yelling illegible words. The headphones were blaring with the boys trying to control the helicopter.

"_Kiara! Are you okay?!"  
"I have second degree burns up my leg but otherwise I'm fine... We need to get out of this chopper!"  
"How?!"  
"We jump!" _

Kiara reached over, unsnapping her partner before unsnapping herself and diving from the falling Falcon. Naress, in a panic, dove after. The ground was almost 30 feet away, so when Naress and Kiara landed they rolled several feet to take in the shock of the ground. Champange came next, followed by the boys right before the nose of the Falcon smashed into the ground and exploded. Naress groaned, lifting her head.

The place was a battlefield, PC personal taking cover behind their base as a strange species she didn't recognized advanced forward. Kiara spat, rubbing sand out of her burn which was painful enough on the other side of the bond.  
"We need to get to cover," hissed Naress, staying low before grabbing her teammate in a cradle position and darting for the base rubble, narrowly avoiding getting shot by 'spiker darts'. Pushing her teammate behind a slate of rock, she stanched a DMR from the sandy ground and aimed for the knees.

_Ratat. Ratat. Click. Click. Click._

Cursing, she threw the empty DMR away, rolling forward for a Type-51. Snatching it up, she aimed and fired the lazer at the feet of the oncoming enemies, not aiming to kill them. A hum of a Scarab told her Kiara had found a weapon and was firing away already. It was now she could see what they were. The creatures looked like human bears, or 'yetis', wearing thick helmets and chest-pads that were bullet proof, probably. Long tusks came from their mouth that twisted about, some with more twist then others. They didn't fall easy.

One of the cat-alien villagers had another DMR, shooting to kill. He swiftly looked over at Naress, a long bleeding wound from a grazing dripping blood. "Kill them! They'll kill everything here unless you don't!"  
"I can't do that sir," she huffed, looking to her right as Ubevin rolled up next to her holding a sniper rifle. "Sir, the villager says shoot to kill and I told him we co-"  
"Too late for that; three of the personal are already down, one dead. We shoot to kill now."

Naress blinked, nodding slowly and turned back to her attacking, aiming for the face and major arteries. Enemies began to drop like rocks from the killing blows. A loud 'ratatatatata' of a machine gun told her to duck as bullets laced the wall behind their hiding spot.  
"Holy shit," she said loudly, pulling her partner close after Kiara army-crawled over. The three leaned against the wall, reloading silently before standing back up and firing away, leaping over the wall to advance.

They didn't get to far before her gun ran on empty, the Sangheili throwing it away and whipping out her energy sword. Using Evade, she dove forward and drove the sword into one of the Yeti's kneecap, bringing him down before stabbing him in the face. It dropped dead and she glanced over to see Kiara firing more DMR rounds into another's mouth. The rest of the Peace Core was advancing, trying to drive the enemy back but they were persistent. Both sides started dropping bodies, Naress hissing as bullet grazed her waist.

Ubevin appeared out of nowhere and knocked her down as a grenade flew over the two of them. She grunted loudly, opening her eyes to see the kit... priestess across from the field. She was praying loudly, using strange mythical attacks probably as she flew around the battle-field. Something about her patterns of flight though... More must be coming by the way she was flying past the group of current attackers.

"You okay?" clicked Ubevin, grabbing her hand and pulling her up.  
"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks." she replied, shooting a Yeti from over his shoulder, "You?"  
"Fine besides a bleeding thig- Behind you." He stepped widely around her, pressing his back to hers and shooting something out of her sight. Kiara scrabbled up, diving between their legs and using her last rounds on a Yeti's knees so Naress could jump to it's shoulders to break it's neck .  
"Good to know. Where's Hale?"  
"He over thhhhERRRRAAAAAAAAAAA-!" Ubevin grabbed his chest and fell to his knees, wheezing loudly. Kiara and Naress whipped around, looking at him before jumping off their prey to the Sangheili.  
"What's wrong?!" Kiara asked in a panic while the warrant officer struggled to breath. It took the female to realize he wasn't hurt, but if he wasn't...

"HALE!" Naress spun on her foot, pile driving it across the field, looking for the human. Panic raced through her head and body as she tried to locate him. A Yeti stepped in her way, causing the Sangheili to halt. "Fuck you." Bringing up her leg, she kicked out into the Yeti's crotch, then punched under it's chin when it fell; stepping onto its shoulder and stabbing her energy sword into the back of it's neck. The beast dropped dead, and from her spot, she saw Hale.

The human male was laying in the sand and a pool of his own blood, gasping for air. She could only guess the Link was keeping him alive as three bullet holes in his chest bled rivers. Leaping off her kill, she grabbed the human, scooping him up.  
_"Kiara, I found Hale!"_ "Hale, nononno! Stay with me!"  
"I...a-am, m-ma'am... But N-Not-"  
"Don't even say that!" She ripped her clean shirt off, pressing it to his chest tightly. The bullets had gone clean through, meaning he could die quicker... She pressed it down more, swiveling to find a ship the get them out of here.

Salvation came from the skies as shuttles dropped like rock into the sand to get them the hell out of there, and Naress dove forward into one of them, punching the emergency evacuation keys and holding on to the side and Hale, who was breathing hoarsely.  
"Stay with me, Hale...stay with me..._I'm sorry..._"

* * *

_**dun dun DUUUUNNNNNNN!**_


	13. What Happens When You Die

_**NO OWN HALO AY LMAO**_

* * *

The evacuation pod touched down in the middle of the large outer grounds 40 minutes later, falling open to let a lightheaded Naress stumble out. She had started loosing blood from a hole in her side but she continued to press on. Medics were already running outside as other pods touched down with injured personal.

"M-MEDIC!" Naress roared, getting the attention of two as she stumbled, holding the bleeding human close. They didn't take long to whisk Hale from her arms and on a gurney, then carry him away as another medic tended to her side to stop the bleeding.  
"Where's you partner?"  
"I...I don't know... I had to save her brother...I can still feel her wounds, though..."  
"Alright, see if you can contact them then report to the medical bay."

Naress nodded, shutting her eyes and trying to reach her partner.  
_"Kiara?"  
"I'm here. Where are you?"  
"I took one of the pod and evacuated back to the base to save Hale..."  
"Alright, we're already in a pod and Ubevin slightly freaked out. See you in 30."  
"Good. I'll be in med-bay."_

The Sangheili stumbled away from the doctor once he finished and indoors with the rest of the group. Recruits and those not subjected to the mission looked on the carnage with fright or sadness. She heard someone mutter "I just got a report, we lost three..."

Three personal... three partner-less souls... And she hoped Ubevin would not be one of them.

She entered the med-bay just in time to see Hale being whisked away into one of the surgery rooms, sitting down on a chair to wait for her friends. A nurse rushed over, taking her name and ID before leaving again.

It was a half hour, just as they said, before Ubevin and Kiara entered the room. Both looked terrified, sitting by their comrade to wait for news on Hale. Ubevin was shaking.  
"You okay?"  
"...no...This is the first time Hale's ever closed his bond...I'm...I'm terrified..." he whispered quietly. Naress blinked at him before reaching over and rubbing his back with her hand. His heart beats could be felt through his uniform, quick and anxious but slowly began to calm down as she kept going. Ubevin sighed again, slouching forward.

It was another hour before Glamfabuluos, Champagne, and No Mercy entered the med bay. Kiara was half asleep but Ubevin was still wide awake, his hoof barely touching Naress just to make sure he wouldn't drift off. The group looked like hell, nt a single one unbandaged.

"There you are! We thought you were dead!" gasped Jesla, hugging Kiara's neck.  
"No, not at all. Hale got really injured so we evacuated..."  
"Hale? Where is he, he okay?"  
"He's still in surgery," rasped Ubevin. Jaquelle looked pained to hear it and sat on the other side of Ubevin, clicking to him quietly even though she got no responses.

The group sat in the medical room for several hours after that, and since it was nightfall when they got to the PC base, it was almost dawn when they were shooed out. Kiara had been asleep, as had Jesla and Sertagia. Ubevin looked exhausted already, almost like death itself was upon him. Naress frowned before picking her Linked up in one arm, then sliding under Ubevin's arm on the other side, supporting him.

"Come on, you need to rest." she said quietly, ignoring the glares. _What were with these bitches?_  
"I'm fine, Naress."  
"No you're not. You need rest so neither you nor Hale will be exhausted."  
"...very well."  
"Good, now come on." The younger supporter the older as he walked drunkenly; the drugs in his partner were affecting him too. It wasn't far to his room, which he shakily punched the key-code in. Pushing the door open, she helped him over to the couch in which he fell upon tiredly. Kiara was still asleep, holding onto her teammate as Naress threw a blanket over the older male who had passed out.

"Rest well, Ubevin." she said, leaving the room and shutting the door. She was greeted by the two people she didn't want to see at all, Jaquelle and a sleepy Sertagia. Immediately, Naress shut her bond as not to awaken her partner before stepping back into the wall away from the growling females.  
"You did this!"  
"I did nothing, I was merely fighting for my life and Ubevin cried out so I went to find Hale!"  
"You were distracted Ubevin, he was too busy protecting you!" The female stepped forward and slammed her back, waking up Kiara in the process who jumped from the Sangheili's arms. Sertagia grabbed her tightly, holding her away despite the human's thrashing.  
"That was his choice to protect me, not mine!"  
"You should have never gone on this mission anyhow, what do you know of combat?!"  
"I know nothing more then you do, Jaquelle, now if you'll excuse-" She didn't get to finish as the female kneed her in the stomach, throwing the smaller back into the wall and slapping her across the face. Naress was confused, terrified, and angry at the same time as Kiara yelled from her hold. Jaquelle leaned in closed, something sharp poking the younger female's abdomen. Sharp clicks sounded in her ear: "If Hale dies, Ubevin will die with him. Then I'm coming for you."

Terror flooded Naress' systems from the knife pull and her defense training kicked in. Sharply, she headbutted the older and shoved her away, guarding her abdomen. Kiara kicked back into her binder's crotch, getting loose and running over to her partner. The two big older females didn't both attacking again and the knife was gone, probably already sheathed.  
"Do not forget my warning," seethed Jaquelle before she turned and disappeared down the hall with Sertagia. Kiara flipped them off as they left and turned to the shaky Naress.

"What did she do, Naress?"  
"If Hale dies...Ubevin dies..." she sputtered out, sinking down the wall, "Why...why does the link kill them both?! You'd loose your brother and I'd loose my best friend!"  
"Hey, relax, Hale isn't going to die and neither is Ubevin... Let's get to our rooms..."

:::

The next day, literally almost 18 hours later, the girl left their rooms. They had rested to the brink of almost exhausted themselves from resting so much. The medical room wasn't as busy anymore as they checked to see if Hale was alright.  
"Hi, I'm here to see Hale Kerse?"  
"And you are?"  
"His sister, Kiara Kerse, ma'am."  
"Alright...He's in a recovery room, R14. You can see him if he's awake, I know his partner's already in with him."  
"Thank you," Kiara and Naress departed, heading down the hall till they came to R14. Knocking quietly, the door was opened softly from the other side. Ubevin peeked out then opened the door widely.

"Is it nurses?" came a raspy voice.  
"Nope, Kiara and Naress."  
"Prefect!" Hale was laying on the bed, chest and arms bandaged up as he coughed slightly, waving. Kiara smiled, moving over and grabbing his hand.  
"Feeling better, bro?"  
"Hell ya. I would already be dead if it wasn't for Naress and the Link."  
"I did nothing, sir."  
"You say that but you lie. Ubevin!"  
"What, Hale?" He looked up as Hale dramaticly pointed at Naress, the most serious face he could muster.  
"Marry that woman."

Naress blushed a bright red as Ubevin stared before snorting in laughter, face cracking up into a smile but a light red tint specked his face. Kiara smirked, ruffling his hair.  
"Terrible, you're terrible. So when do you get out of this joint?"  
"Not soon, I have another surgery because I apparently have some lead and bones still stuck in my lungs which is kinda cool because I'd be like Tony Stark but the doctors aren't as amused and gotta still remove them. And, even better, this surgery kills one in every three people!"

Ubevin paled from where he sat as Kiara's face dropped then scrunched up. "That was a terrible joke."  
"I know but you totally just missed Ubevin's face.  
"When you're all better, you're getting a kick to the crotch."  
"Love you too, sis."

:::  
They stayed with Hale for the next few hours before the doctor came in and whisked him away again to the surgery room. Ubevin looked nervous again, making low click-whines after Hale shut his bond, pacing every so often. Kiara, despite worry for her brother, declared she needed some coffee. Ubevin and Naress where the only two left in the wait room.

His pacing made her nervous as he waited, the nurses all gone to attend to others. The young female looked around the room slowly, trying to find anything to distract him and herself before sighing.  
"Ubevin?"  
"...yes Naress?"  
"...I...I have to ask...when one...dies does the link...kill the other?" The male Sangheili stared at her before shaking his head.  
"No but...the emotional pain you are left with afterwords is what kills so many... The longer your are Linked the more painful it can get if one dies. If Kiara died you'd feel very depressed for a long time but it would fade and you'd be able to re-link. If Hale died... I would be extremely depressed and alone, unable to relink and would be removed from the base... But... If someone... Someone who has been with their partner longer then we have...say five years... The emotional stress and loneliness would literally kill them..."  
"...Have you seen it happen?"

The older male shut his eyes, sighing, "Yes...Hale and I had friends... They were sergeants when we joined... They had been best friends for six years when a bomb under the dirt tore one of them in half eight months ago... Our friend...He...He was in shock, unable to comprehend his other half was gone. Then he became violent, thinking we had taken away his friend and had to be restrained and taken care of. He'd babble or cry for days, then his brain-... In the end he lasted only a month before he too was gone..."  
Naress was silent throughout the whole explanation, staring in horror at the floor. Silently, she got up and without permission hugged the other Sangheili. Shock would probably be a good emotion to explain the sudden jerking, but he got over it and hugged her back, sighing. His chin rested on the top/back of her head as she rested her chin on his shoulder, making low clicks.  
"Don't worry about Hale, he's too stubborn to leave. Kiara assured it." His dolphin chuckle vibrated his body and she smiled at it, upper jaws feeling a bit warm.  
"I know... But it still never hurts to be concerned... Thank you."  
"For what?"  
"Being here."

Naress looked up, smiling at him before touching her snout to his forehead and letting go, giving the Warrant Officer his space when Kiara walked back into the room with coffees.

* * *

_**SO FLUFFY! :3 Please R&R your thoughts**_


	14. AN : I'm sorry! 8'C

_**Hi Guys! I'm so sorry for no update, I'm just as sad about it as you are. Tuesday I was distracted, today was my uncle's birthday and now I have three days of work ahead of me. I promise you guys I going to get two VERY long chapter before next Tuesday.**_

_**Meanwhile, please spread word about this fic, more reviews means juicier chapters! **_

_**Thanks!**_

_**-Danii**_


	15. AN: I'm back!

_**Hi guys! I missed ya'll and am SO SORRY for not updating! I'm going to try and write some chapters over my next 6 days off, so PLEASE, share the story, review, and give me feedback on ideas. I need ANYTHING I CAN GET for motivation. **_

_**Luv ya!**_

_**Danii**_


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